


Shifting Views

by MsBarrows



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Comic Book Science, Comic Book Violence, Enemies to Friends, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Multiple Viewpoints, Not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Compliant, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, Not Thor: The Dark World Compliant, Shapeshifter Loki, Slow Build, UST
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-09
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2017-12-28 22:48:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 57
Words: 183,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/997824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsBarrows/pseuds/MsBarrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor asks the Avengers to keep an eye on Loki while Asgard goes to war against the chitauri who recently tried to remove him from prison there. Tony Stark finds himself holding the leash of a shapechanged Loki. Neither of them are happy about the situation.</p><p>Eventual Frostiron intended.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. No Real Choice

**Author's Note:**

> My first foray into writing a fanfiction in the Avengers movie universe. Also the first time where I’m trying to write 1-3 updates ahead of posting. We’ll see how it goes.

Loki does not like being here, at the place of his defeat, but he has been given no choice in the matter. He had thought he would never see this place again, these people again, this world again, yet here he is, shackled and gagged and forced to stand quietly at the side of the man who still insists that they are _brothers_. Part of him wishes to rage and protest, to fight, to flee, but the gag stops his tongue and the shackles render him biddable, so that all he can do is glare in barely-suppressed fury at these so-called Avengers as they stare back at him, clearly as unwelcoming of his presence here as he is of theirs.

"No, really, someone please explain to me just what Loki is doing in my living room? I thought he'd been banished to his room without any supper for the next few hundred years or something?" It is Tony Stark talking, the Iron Man, and Loki hears the fear that underlies his words. They are frightened of him; they are all frightened of him, except Thor who is too blindly stubborn to fear him and the tired-looking man who contains the beast, who is too busy being frightened of himself to truly fear any other being, and whose beast fears Loki not at all.

He shifts his weight just slightly, and hates himself for even that small sign of unease in the beast's indirect presence. He will not fear, and even if he does, he will not show fear. He is Loki, and he is a _god_.

A god whose cheek aches, and his ribs; he wishes the bruised skin and cracked bones to heal, but his powers are as bound as he is, his wishes ineffectual, and he knows it will be a day or two yet before he is well again, limited to his body's natural rate of healing as he currently is. He can only be thankful that he will not have the longer suffering that one of these mortals would have to enjoy from like injuries. Strange that with such significantly shorter lives their bodies waste so much of their limited time on self-repair. Still, it is better to wish on healing than to listen to his brother's words, explaining why they are here – why he has been brought here – and Thor begging, _begging_ the mortals to take in and look after Loki, as if he is some useless child, some feeble helpless being in need of protection. _He is a god_ , and were his powers unbound he would kill them all and protect himself.

"And what's to keep him from attempting to take over Earth? Other than us," Steve Rogers asks.

"Or even just stop him from running away the minute he can," Tony adds. "It sounds like you mean to leave him here for a while, and I doubt we can keep him locked up in the freaky bondage gear forever."

"I have been given an artifact – a spell made manifest – that will constrain his magics, force him into a form where he can make no real use of the little magic left to him, and bind him to one of you as his handler."

"His handler?" the beast – Bruce, Loki reminded himself – spoke up.

"A person who will have authority over him and his movements; whom he must follow when told to follow, or obey when told to stay, and who will have responsibility for seeing that he is protected from harm while he is unable to protect himself. I was made his handler for his move from Asgard to Midgard, but I cannot remain here; I must return home, to lead the retaliatory force against those who sought to remove him from our custody."

"And how long will we be stuck with him for?" Clint asks, and Loki can feel the force of his hatred and fear even though his voice is unemotional.

"Until we of Asgard have finished our war. It will take some little time; individually they are but poor fighters, but their sheer numbers and the canniness of their leader makes them a worthy opponent for the might of Asgard."

Loki cannot prevent himself from snorting at his brother's words. The Chitauri are indeed numerous, and their technology far beyond what the humans themselves could muster, but they are indeed poor opponents if not for their numbers; like earth's humans, it is the sheer mass of them that makes them dangerous. That, and their leader, and about him Loki prefers not to think, nor about how close-run a thing it was when the Chitauri attempted kidnapping him from one of the most secure locations on all of Asgard, and came within a hair's breadth of succeeding. His wounds are from his few moments in their hands before Thor had come to his rescue, snatching him back before he could be removed to a place where, he knew, he would have faced unending torment.

He does not believe he will be any safer here on earth than he was there on Asgard; by all evidence, he thinks, these humans are even less able to protect him from the Chitauri and Thanos' vengeance than his brother and his brother's people were. He would have preferred to remain incarcerated on Asgard than be brought here, but Thor is convinced that this is the better option, and Thor is used to having his way.

"So who's going to be his handler?" the woman asks, Natasha, as she stares coolly at Loki. He stared back for a moment, thinking that of all those gathered here, she is the only one whose wit he respects. She is almost as sly as he himself is, and the only one of them to manage to trick him into revealing more than he intended.

"By the strictures of the spell, he must make that decision himself," Thor says, then turns to look at him. "Brother, whose protection do you wish to be under?"

He glares for a moment at Thor, wishing his tongue was free so that he might once again deny Thor's claim of brotherhood with him, then turns his attention to those gathered here. He must make a choice, and while he would prefer to make no choice at all, the magics holding him leave him with no option but to obey Thor's commands.

Not the beast, is his first thought. The beast is mighty, but if the Chitauri come here, it will take more than mindless brutality to protect him. The woman and the archer are both intelligent enough, but not strong enough; they are support, not front-line fighters. Which leaves the choice between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, both equally unpalatable to him. In the end there is no real choice, only the recognition of necessity; as much as he dislikes the man, Tony Stark's intellect and love of technology are more likely to prove of use in combating any incursion by the technologically-adept Chitauri than Steve Roger's mere speed and strength in battle. He steps forward to stand in front of the man, glaring down at him with narrowed eyes.

"You're kidding me," Tony complains. The others each react in their own way to Loki's choice; Clint laughs. Natasha's expression doesn't change at all. Bruce looks relieved, Steve uneasy, lips pressing together for a moment.

Thor grins. "An excellent choice, brother!" he says, clapping one hand to Loki's shoulder, words and action making Loki glare at him. Thor turns to Tony. "I thank you for taking this on. My brother means much to me, and I am sure you will be an excellent handler."

Tony sighs. "Damn it... why me?" he asks, then turns away. "Let's get this over with, I guess. What do I need to do?"


	2. Leashing Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying something out with narrative voice in this fic. It's all written in 3rd person (my usual preference), but I'm playing around a little with tense. I usually write in third person simple past tense (ie, "He grinned as he walked away"). For Loki's point of view in the previous and future chapters, I'm initially going to be writing in third person present tense (ie, "He grins and walks away"), because it always feels to me like a more intensely personal viewpoint (personal from that character's POV, anyway).
> 
> Once Loki becomes less hostile to everything and everyone he'll transition to simple past tense as well. So the tense changes in upcoming chapters are an intentional stylistic choice, not an error in grammar (unless, of course, I slip up and do something like write Tony's viewpoint in present tense).

Tony watched uneasily as Thor removed the gag and cuffs binding his brother. He didn't like this; he didn't trust Loki at all, and he couldn't help worrying that Thor might be overly confident about the spells holding Loki contained. Once his bindings were removed, Loki shook his hands, sparks of power briefly appearing between his fingers, and opened his mouth wide as if yawning, jaw wiggling from side to side before closing again, his face settling into an annoyed expression.

"Explain to me again what's going to stop Loki from just using his powers and vanishing – or doing something much, much nastier than vanishing – the moment you're gone?" Tony asked Thor nervously.

Thor did something with the handful of metal objects that made them vanish into thin air – an impossibility that irked Tony even further – then pulled something out from under his armour; a leather throng, strung with a pair of clear crystal beads, one polished smooth, one cut into a myriad of facets. "These are limiting his powers; once fully activated, the spell they carry will enforce even stricter limits on what few powers remain to him," Thor explained, then glanced at Loki. "Prepare yourself, brother," he ordered.

Loki scowled, then stripped off his jacket, tossing it to one side, before he tugged his shirt free and began methodically unfastening it, ignoring the others gathered in the room.

"Uh... why is Loki getting naked, Thor? Is this some sort of kinky sex magic thing? Not that I have anything against kinky sex magic, just I'm really not sure I want to get that involved with your brother..."

Thor grinned, and clapped one hand to Tony's shoulder, hard enough that Tony had to take a half-step sideways before catching himself. "Fear not, my friend," Thor said, beaming. "There is no sex involved. But Loki will be changing form, and with his powers bound as they are, he cannot manipulate his clothing as he usually would, and must instead remove his garments beforehand."

"Changing his form?" Bruce asked, from where he was leaning against the wall nearby, arms crossed.

"Yes! In a similar way to how you change, though entirely unrelated. My brother is a shape-shifter. A useful talent, though when he is in other forms than human he is unable to use the full range of his powers; too many of them rely on words he cannot say and motions than he cannot make as an animal."

Loki looked at Thor and muttered something under his breath; Tony didn't catch what it was, but by the death-glare that went with it he assumed that Loki was less than happy about his skill and its accompanying weakness being explained to people that Loki considered to be enemies. Tony couldn't help but grin a little at that, even if this additional impossibility makes him feel even grouchier about the whole thing. "I think I begin to see... so in addition to limiting his powers, this spell-artifact-thingy will turn him into an animal so even less of his powers will be available to him?"

"Indeed, you understand correctly," Thor agreed, looking pleased. "He cannot remain an animal all the time – to do so is damaging – but while waking he will be an animal, and must stay either near you or within the bounds of an area where you have instructed him to remain. In addition he may not cause harm to you or to any others, by any act of physical or magical powers or by purposeful negligence."

"Purposeful negligence?" Clint asked. "What does that even mean?"

"He cannot do something that, while not directly harmful to you, may lead to harm to you."

"Like greasing a step or loosening a handrail or casually leaving an electrical appliance in the shower?" Natasha asked. "No potentially-lethal pranking, you mean?"

"My brother is well-known for his acts of mischief," Thor pointed out. "It seemed something worth guarding against."

Tony nodded, thinking of all the things in the tower that could be used to harm them otherwise. "Good idea, I like it," he agreed, then looked at Loki, who was down to just a pair of silky white briefs and an assortment of dark bruises. "Wow, is it just me or does this feel awkward as hell? Can we get this over with before I give in to the urge to run screaming in the opposite direction? What's next?"

"Next I must activate the artifact. I will need one of your hairs," Thor explained, then turned to Loki, who was already plucking a hair from his own head, his face still set, though his expression was now more of a purposefully blank one than showing any identifiable emotion.

"A hair? Okay," Tony said, and tugged one of his own loose, handing it over as Thor reached to accept it.

Thor also pulled one from his own head, then carefully knotted the three hairs together. "A hand, brother?" he said, holding them out, and Loki pinched the knot, looking briefly at Thor with a long-suffering look briefly crossing his face. Thor leaned down and began braiding the three hairs together, frowning in concentration and chewing on his lip as his blunt fingers twisted the hairs over and over again. It shouldn't have taken very long, Tony's hair being only a few inches in length, but instead it took a while, a long while, the fine braid of hair growing and growing in length, and somehow thickening in diameter as well, until there was a length of thin cord almost two feet long stretching from Loki's pinched fingertips to Thor's hands. Thor did something that seemed to tie off and finish the ends, then smiled at Loki. "Thank you, brother," he said. Loki remained silent, and simply let go of the other end, looking away as if unconcerned and unimpressed.

Thor snapped the thong holding the two beads around his neck, and then threaded them onto the cord in turn, each at a different end of it. He held the two ends pinched together in one hand, and closed his other round the two beads, frowning in concentration again as he whispered a few words, then yanked the hand with the beads down the cord. There was a flash of light, and then Thor was smiling, holding two identical long folded cords now instead of one, each with a single bead strung on them. "It is done," he said, and stepped over to Tony, holding both out. "Take one, and tie it around your person – neck or wrist or elsewhere, it matters not – and then tie the second in a like position on Loki. That will complete the binding."

Tony raised his eyebrows, even as he picked up one – the smooth-beaded one – and fastened it around his neck, tying the ends together in a simple knot at the back of his neck. "You made us friendship bracelets? Aww, you shouldn't have," he said, then picked up the second and turned to Loki.

Loki had that long-suffering look on his face again, and was stepping out of his briefs, seeming completely unphased by his own nudity in front of them. Tony blinked, then forced himself to ignore the nakedness and step forward, reaching up – annoyingly far up – to tie the thin cord around Loki's neck, entertaining a brief fantasy of simply garroting him with it instead. Though it didn't look strong enough for that, and he was pretty sure Thor wouldn't let him anyway.

As he stepped back, both beads flashed with light, and Loki changed, too fast for the transformation to truly be visible, just one moment a tall naked man and the next a wolf. A very, very _tall_ wolf, as big as a large pony or small horse, with thick black fur, and a mouth full of sharp white fangs that he got a disturbingly close view of as it snarled angrily. Tony recoiled with a startled yell, and it turned and leapt, landing half the length of the room away. Loki crouched low and looking quickly around as the Avengers all reacted to the sudden shift and movement, either loudly or with sudden moves of their own towards weapons, or both. A second leap took Loki further away from all of them, disappearing into hiding among a cluster of potted plants in back of an overstuffed leather armchair in one corner of the room, a threatening growl making it clear that he was no more happy about the situation than any of them were.

"Hold! Hold, my friends, I promise you Loki is no danger to you!" Thor called out, raising his hands and making calming motions, Steve quickly joining him in telling everyone to stand down.

"Dammit, Thor... when you said he was going to turn into an animal, I was picturing something... well, something a lot smaller and fluffier. You know, something _harmless_. What the fuck kind of wolf is that!? I never even knew they came that big," Tony exclaimed, cupping one hand uneasily over his arc reactor as he waited for the pounding of his heart to subside.

"He has taken the form of a small _varg_ – a kind of wolf not seen here in Midgard, though they are common elsewhere in the nine realms."

"If that's a small one, I don't think I ever want to see a large one," Tony said, then looked over to the far corner of the room. Loki had fallen silent again, no sign of his presence visible save a slight swaying of one of the plants. "Damn. All right, I suppose we're fine as long as he stays in his corner."

"Good! And now I must return to Asgard, to ready myself for the upcoming battle. Take good care of my brother, I beg you," Thor said, and offered his hand.

"Yeah, we'll take good care of Spot," Tony said, shaking his hand and clapping his other hand reassuringly to Thor's shoulder, and hoping he wouldn't come to regret his promises. "You go do what you have to. Try not to take too long about it."

Thor grinned and nodded. "I will return as soon as I may. My thanks, my friends," he said to all of them, then walked out to the balcony, spun his hammer, and vanished.

Tony forced a smile and looked at the other Avengers. "Well, it looks like the show's over. I'm going to go to my lab and have a small nervous breakdown. See you all later."

"Mind if I join you?" Bruce asked, straightening up from where he'd been sitting on the floor doing deep-breathing exercises to calm himself since the excitement over Loki's transformation.

"For the nervous breakdown, or the making things blow up afterwards? You know you're always welcome to join me for either," Tony said and started walking toward the elevators.

"I'll pass on the nervous breakdown. What were you thinking of blowing up?" Bruce asked interestedly as they left.

Everyone else found reasons to leave the room as well, none of them wanting to remain anywhere near the corner where Loki lurked.


	3. Feeding the Wolf

"What's our guest up to, Jarvis?" Tony asked, glancing up from adjusting the linkages inside one arm piece of the latest suit. One of the first things he'd done after reaching the lab had been to assign the AI the task of keeping an eye on Loki, and letting him know if he did anything in the least suspicious. He'd half expected Loki to make a break for freedom as soon as everyone's back was turned, but to his surprise the man – well, wolf – had remained in his hiding spot the remainder of the afternoon and now well into the evening, not moving from it even when others had passed through the room on their way to and from the kitchen, home theatre, and elevators.

" _Still nothing, sir. He has only moved once since you last asked me that question,_ " Jarvis said, and without further prompting projected a hologram that showed a view of the common room, with a wireframe overlay sketching in what wasn't visible to any of the security cameras. The wolf was shown rising to its feet, stretching, pacing back and forth for a moment with head lowered to peer out around either side of the chair, then rising up to look over the back of it – Loki's head just briefly visible – before resuming his previous position, curled up in the corner.

"Huh. Well, let me know if anything changes."

" _Of course, sir._ "

He lost himself in his work fore a while, muttering under his breath as he chased down the problem that was causing some annoying stiffness of movement in the latest design, finally sighing and putting aside the repaired piece. Jarvis had left the display of the common room open, he noticed as he looked around.

"Cup of coffee, Dummy," he said as he pushed his chair back from the workbench, leaning back and resting his feet on the edge of it, letting his head hang backwards over the back of the chair and closing his eyes. The room was silent for a couple of minutes, apart from the muted sounds of Dummy moving around, brewing a single serving of coffee for him. He lifted his head again at the sound of the bot approaching. "Thanks," Tony said, accepting the mug from Dummy's claw, and absently stroked a hand along the smooth metal casing of its arm, smiling a little as the bot pressed up into the touch like a cat arching its back.

He sipped the coffee, then leaned forward reached up, gently shoving with one fingertip at one corner of the hologram, setting it to a slow rotation, before settling back comfortably in his chair again. He studied the sketched-in form of the huge wolf lurking being the chair, and wondered how long they were going to be stuck with Loki, and just how much trouble he'd prove to be.

Tony was starting to drift off despite the coffee, when movement in the image caught his attention. Bruce, wandering barefoot into the room dressed in the stretched-out grey sweatsuit that Tony knew was Banner's preferred sleepwear. He paused near the middle of it, then turned and took a few steps toward the corner where Loki was. Tony could see that Loki had raised his head watchfully at the man's approach, though from where Bruce was he wouldn't be able to see anything of Loki. Tony tensed, certain that the Hulk could handle Loki – even small varg Loki – if needed, but still worried nonetheless.

"Sound, Jarvis," he whispered, eyes glued to the display.

* * *

Bruce stared at the corner of the room, guessing by the slight motion of one of the plants that Loki had moved. "Hey," he said quietly. "I'm going to assume that even in animal form you can still hear and understand me. Though I feel kind of weird, talking to a chair, so it you could move to where I can see you, I'd appreciate it." He paused, waiting, but apart from another plant swaying, there was no sign of Loki. Bruce smiled crookedly. "Well, I suppose that doesn't entirely surprise me. Our first encounter here was kind of rough on you, after all."

That brought a response, the merest suggestion of a brief growl. The sound made Bruce's smile briefly widen; proof that Loki understood his words, at least. He continued on to the kitchen to make himself a mug of chamomile tea, part of his regular nightly routine when he was having trouble sleeping, as he was tonight. As the kettle filled he frowned thoughtfully. "Jarvis... has anyone brought food or water to Loki?"

" _No, Dr Banner._ "

"Ah," he said, frown deepening, and after plugging in the kettle, went searching through the cupboards, quickly finding a stack of nested stainless steel mixing bowls. He half-filled the largest one with water, then carried it back out to the common room and over toward the corner. A growl sounded as he approached, getting louder and more threatening the closer he came.

"Just bringing you something to drink," he said quietly, heart pounding just a little harder but not enough to worry him. He crouched down while still a few feet away from the nearest planter, setting the bowl on the floor, then carefully pushed it as close to the plants and chair as he could reach without getting any closer. "I'll bring you something to eat in a minute," he said as he backed off and straightened up, then returned to the kitchen.

While his tea brewed he poked around in the fridge, trying to think what a wolf would eat. Meat, obviously, but since the wolf was also technically a human – well, humanoid, Aesir not technically being human – might that not change whether or not Loki would prefer his food cooked or raw, or whether or not it should include vegetables? Easiest to assume that the change to a non-human form included changes to the digestive system that made the body suited to eating the proper diet of that animal, but he didn't _know_. He finally settled for frying up a couple of packages of hot dogs while he drank his tea, dumping them into one dish and some leftover steamed vegetables and rice into another before carrying them both out to the common room.

The water bowl was almost empty, some splashes on the floor around it showing that Loki had been an enthusiastic drinker. He growled at Bruce's approach again, though not quite as loudly this time, a sound more warning than threatening. Bruce snagged the water bowl after putting down the two dishes of food, and refilled it at the bar sink before returning it.

"Good night," he said, and headed off to bed.


	4. Foolish Creatures

Loki expects many things when he is left in the hands of his enemies, but being ignored is not one of them. Yet that is what is happening; three days have passed now, and apart from walking well-clear of the corner where he is, and the beast bringing him more food and water at intervals, no one seems to be paying any attention to him at all. It is disquieting; he does not like being discounted.

The truly infuriating thing is that there is, in fact, nothing he can do. The only things in reach of him are a large chair and several plants growing in pots, and the bowls that his food and water are brought to him in. He can't walk more than a few paces away from the corner before beginning to feel oddly discomforted, and he's only once made it more than a couple of body-lengths out of the shaded corner before a sudden spurt of terror made him leap back into cover. The spell that has been placed on him is most cursedly effective; he has not yet bothered trying again.

The second worst part of his confinement here, after being ignored, is the lack of suitable toilet facilities. Both as a man and as a wolf he dislikes soiling his own sleeping area, but he's had no choice but to drop his leavings on the floor only a few feet from where he normally lies. An automated machine quickly appeared and cleaned away all sign of it, but the shame remains, and is reinforced every time he has to void his bowels or bladder. He wonders if this is a subtle torture being inflicted on him by Stark, but in the end decides it is too subtle to be a purposeful tactic of the blunt-spoken man.

Which, like being ignored, is even more disquieting than if it had been a _purposeful_ neglect.

If only he had some sign of these mortals' intentions toward him, in his captivity among them. He is too on-edge to rest, yet knows that this animal form of his will need sleep eventually; already he has begun to push too close to the bounds of what it is physically capable of, at least with the added burden of how injured and unrested he'd been even before shifting to this form. He can only be thankful that varg are far more durable in this regard than earth's own lupine creatures. Still, he cannot stave off collapse from physical exhaustion for too much longer, and that... that, he has to admit, he fears. He will be truly helpless once that happens, submerged in spellbound sleep and trapped in his normal form. Vulnerable, unable to even physically protect himself, much less make any use of the few magics remaining to him. Dependant on the well-meaning and protection of these damned mortal friends of his bro... of Thor.

In his anger, it takes him some time to notice that the building is unusually quiet today; none of the usual traffic of people through the room, in search of sustenance, entertainment, rest, or the companionship of their fellows. It is only when the apartment grows darker with the fading of daylight, and he grows hungry, that he realizes it has been many hours since he's seen even the least sign that there are any other occupants here but himself.

The discovery makes him uneasy, and increases his anger. Tony Stark is supposed to be protecting him; how can he claim to be doing so, when he is not even here? When Loki is being left unguarded, unwatered, unfed, unwatched, forced to inhabit a space insufficient for the physical exercise this body requires? Neglected. _Ignored_.

It has been full night for some time and his initial raging anger has faded from white heat to a focused coldness deep in his belly when there is sound elsewhere in the tower, a grating vibration felt more through the floor underfoot than as any audible sound. Then just moments later, the muffled sounds of footsteps and voices, the tower re-populated at last. He quickly raises his head, looking over the back of the chair toward the glassed-in lobby area at the far end of the room, where there are elevators and several doors leading he knows not where. As he watches, a double door marked swings open and the Avengers spill through it and into the lobby, all of them looking the worse for wear; they have been in battle somewhere, judging by their exhaustion and the state of the armour and weapons they carry. The beast has clearly come out to play at some point, as Captain America is carrying a sleeping form in his arms that is wearing nothing more than a blanket and torn underclothes.

"I'll put Bruce to bed," he says over his shoulder to the others as he heads for one of the elevators. "Natasha, make sure Clint gets that arm seen to."

"It's just a scratch," the archer complains.

"Yeah, just a scratch that needs at least five stitches," Iron Man points out as he flips open his visor.

"Clint..." Natasha says warningly.

"All right, all right, you can play doctor and sew up my boo-boo," Clint says, then grins unrepentantly at her. "Or we could play doctor and nurse and I could..."

"Clint!" Natasha and Captain America both snap, while Stark grins

There is a muted chime as an elevator arrives; Captain America calls farewell to the other three as he disappears into it with Bruce. The doors slide closed and there is a different muted chime as it leaves.

"Infirmary, Clint, or I'll phone Coulson and tell him you refused treatment."

"Ouch! No fair, Tasha. Fine, I'll come along peaceably, officer," he says, holding his hands above his head. The woman puts a hand against his back and pushes him, following him across the lobby and through a door into what, judging by the way their footsteps and voices change as they disappear from Loki's view, must be a stairwell.

Stark watches them go, then makes his way to the bar, and begins mixing himself a drink without even bothering to remove his suit first. Loki watches him, narrow-eyed, then when the man walks out from behind the bar, flows in a carefully judged leap over the back of the chair to perch on its seat, taking delight in how his sudden appearance startles the man and makes him flinch away, glass dropping from his hand to shatter on the floor. The way he suddenly has both hands pointing in Loki's direction, the devices on his palms glowing with light, is rather less pleasing, and Loki freezes, ears flicking back. For a long, tense moment they both stare at each other, a stand-off only broken when the little cleaning robot comes rolling out, intent on dealing with the broken glass and spreading puddle.

"Jesus," Stark finally says softly, hands dropping back to his side. "I'd almost forgotten you were there, you know," he points out, a statement that makes Loki put his ears even further back. "Jarvis, peel the suit," he adds, not taking his eyes off of Loki.

" _Of course, sir,_ " a voice speaks out of thin air, one that Loki has heard the Avengers speak to often enough by now to know that it is a part of this tower, not some separate living being; an unliving servant of some kind. The machine wrapped around Stark's body unwraps itself, cleverly unfolding and shifting position and refolding until it stands like a separate being behind Stark, before walking away and storing itself in a niche that opens in one wall to receive it. Loki watches the process with some fascination, silently acknowledging the artistry of the machine that the man has created.

When he looks back, Stark is already walking over to the bar again. "So why are you finally making your presence felt?" he asks, as he mixes himself a second drink.

Loki snorts, then jumps down to the floor beside the chair, batting at the empty bowls and sending them clattering across the polished cement flooring, before lifting his head to glare at the man.

"Ah, right... no one was here to see you were fed," Stark says. "My bad. Jarvis, take note, if no one is on hand to feed Loki, see that suitable foodstuffs and water are made available to him."

" _Sir, that may not be possible._ "

"What? Why not?"

" _None of the machines I am allowed to control, and which have access to this room, are capable of delivering a bowl or tray to here, sir._ "

Stark frowns. "Couldn't you just serve him in the kitchen?"

" _If he had access to the kitchen, yes. However, he seems to be confined to the corner at present, sir._ "

"He is?" Stark asks, sounding startled. "Since when?"

" _If I might draw your attention to the terms of Loki's binding, sir,_ " the voice says, and makes a noise as if it is clearing its throat, then the air fills with the sound of Thor's voice, repeating words he'd said a few days prior. " _He cannot remain an animal all the time – to do so is damaging – but while waking he will be an animal, and must stay either near you or within the bounds of an area where you have instructed him to remain. In addition he may not cause harm to you or to any others, by any act of physical or magical powers or by purposeful negligence._ "

Stark frowns, taking a sip of his drink. "And...?"

" _And then a few minutes later, you said 'All right, I suppose we're fine as long as he stays in his corner.' Based on surveillance of his activities since, I believe that has been interpreted by the spell as being 'the bounds of an area where you have instructed him to remain', sir._ "

Loki is both pleased and angered to see Stark blink, clearly taken aback. To have been so limited since his arrival here, and it not even be _intentional_...! His anger is tempered only by the pleasure of seeing the man's surprise; even the great Tony Stark forgets things sometimes. He is also a little startled to realize that he has, in fact, been under observation all this time by whatever this Jarvis being is; not quite as ignored as he'd thought. The knowledge mollifies him at least a little.

"Wow. Okay, my bad. Let's fix that. Um... okay, you can have the run of this room and the kitchen, Loki."

" _If I might suggest, sir?_ "

"Go ahead."

" _I believe your guest would benefit from access to sanitary facilities._ "

"Oh. Right. Okay... this room, the kitchen, the hallway bathroom, and the hallway as far as the bathroom. Knock yourself out, Loki. Not literally," he hastily clarifies, as if Loki might actually obey any such foolish order, drawing another snort from him. "I'll go get you some food and water. I guess I should have been doing that all along. Speaking of, Jarvis, remind me later to thank Bruce for taking care of our resident hellhound," he asks, setting aside his glass and bending down to pick up the empty bowls, then carrying them off in the direction of the kitchen. Loki, pleased to have more freedom of movement, only hesitates briefly before rising and following him.

" _Of course, sir._ "

Loki watches thirstily as Stark fills the water bowl, and is amused at the way the man flinches back when he turns and finds Loki standing just a couple feet away from him. Stark sets down the bowl, watching him uneasily, then edges further away as Loki steps forward to lower his head and lap at the water. He dislikes the taste of the water here; it tastes of unclean things rather than of the wilds or the depths of under-earth, but it is not unclean enough to be any danger to him and so he tolerates it.

"Jarvis? What's Loki been eating?"

" _Everything served to him, which so far has been a mix of cooked or raw meats, and small amounts of cooked starches and vegetables – leftovers, mainly._ "

"Leftovers? Is that what happened to my stir-fry yesterday? I was planning to eat that," Stark complains in an aggrieved voice.

" _Yes, sir. That is indeed what became of your leftovers._ "

Loki drinks over half the bowl of water before sitting down to watching bemusedly as Stark prepares food, not just for Loki but for himself as well, it seems. He makes a grilled steak and steamed vegetables for himself, and more beef, an entire large roast cut into chunks and just lightly seared, for Loki. As he trims and cuts the meat he tosses the trimmings and a few random cubes of beef at Loki, seeming amused when Loki snatches them out of the air before they can hit the floor. Loki is hungry enough not to take too much offence at his amusement, and besides, this body likes the playfulness of it, almost like a game that real vargs sometimes indulge in with small prey, tossing and batting it around until one or another member of the pack finally eats it.

He knows this is another sign that he has stayed in this form for too long, that its instincts are beginning to override his own thoughts and feelings.

Loki eats all of the roast, and a generous portion of steamed vegetables as well, licking the bowl clean with repeated swipes of his tongue until there is nothing left to taste but the metal itself.

"Pretty hungry, weren't you," Stark remarks, voice surprisingly quiet, and holds out a strip of meat cut from his own steak, held carefully in the very tips of his fingers.

Loki eyes it warily, then strikes, snapping up the bit of meat in a movement fast enough that he has already settled back and swallowed it before Stark even startles back, an undignified yelp of fright passing his lips. Followed in short order by a thunderous glare. "See if I share any more of my own dinner with you ever again," he says, and turns away to hunch over his plate.

Loki doesn't even bother trying to suppress the tooth-baring grin of his amusement at the man's reaction. He turns away, and pads silently back to the common room, where he leaps up onto the seat of the oversized chair by his corner, turning in circles before settling down in a tight curl, his back to the room. He has lost most of his fear, that these mortals might attempt to harm him in his sleep; it is clear to him that they are weak, foolish creatures. He sleeps, even before Stark has finished scraping the last few mouthfuls of food from his plate.


	5. Breakfast with Loki

Tony put the last dish away, having taken the time to actually wash all the dishes by hand; an activity he finds oddly soothing, since it's something he almost never does, usually preferring to make use of labour saving devices likes dishwashers or servants instead of wasting his time on cleaning pots and pans and place-settings. But tonight he had found it restful to just stand at the sink, hands and forearms plunged into water just shy of scalding and mounded with lemon-scented foam, while he carefully cleaned everything he'd dirtied in preparing food for himself and Loki. He even washed and dried the bowls that have been in use as Loki's feeding dishes,and when he was done he refilled the water dish and carried it back out to the common room.

There he was startled to see that Loki was no longer a giant black-furred wolf, but human in form again, lying curled up in a tight ball on the chair in the corner like an animal trying to hide its soft underbelly from predators; asleep, judging by the tiny snoring sounds he was making. Tony averted his eyes quickly from the other man's nudity, momentarily glad that he had glimpsed nothing worse than a pale-skinned back, flecked with a scattering of small dark moles. The jutting shoulder-blades and knobs of vertebrae and tightly-fitted muscles combined with the harsh shadows cast by a nearby light fixture to turn the long flowing curve of bone, muscle and skin into something that looked more sculptural or architectural than human.

He left the bowl out of the way on the floor by the wall, stopping at the bar to pour himself another drink, carefully keeping his eyes away from the naked demi-god. Okay, so maybe he glanced that way once or twice, but it was just to make sure that Loki was still safely asleep, and not sneaking up on him with intent to defenestrate him again or anything like that. Totally innocent. He continued on his way to his own bedroom, drink in hand, feeling himself relax as he took the stairs down to his personal floor. He was feeling more than a little exhausted himself after the lengthy battle the Avengers has been in, on top of several days spent working in his lab with little sleep; he barely got through the effort of changing out of the suit liner and into his pyjama bottoms before falling asleep sprawled face-down on top of the still-made bed, remainder of his drink sitting forgotten on the night-table nearby.

* * *

Tony woke feeling bleary-eyed and thick-headed, and groaned as he rolled over and sat up. He'd overslept; judging by the angle at which the sun was streaming in the windows, it was some time near mid-morning already. He yawned, stretched hugely, then rose to his feet. "Morning, Jarvis," he said, then padded off to the bathroom to take care of morning routine, listening as Jarvis greeted him in turn and immediately ran through the (lengthy) list of news, reminders and miscellanea that comprised Jarvis' usual morning report to him.

So he wasn't particularly disturbed to find the common room filled with the rest of the Avengers – Jarvis' morning report had included the current headcount of the Avengers portion of the tower, as well as mentioning what rooms, or in this case room, they were in – though their activity was not what he'd have expected. They were all gathered near the archway leading into the kitchen and looking apprehensively inside.

"What's up?" Tony asked as he walked toward the kitchen in search of his first cup of coffee of the day.

"Loki," Bruce said softly, catching his arm as he started to move past the group of them, stopping him before he could move any closer to the kitchen.

Tony stared. There was a varg in the kitchen, but it wasn't the black varg that had shared the kitchen with him the night before; this one was white-furred, and he thought might be even larger, though it was hard to tell as the varg was stretched out on the floor on the other side of the breakfast island, head turned away from them.

"Huh," he said, then tugged his arm loose from Bruce's grip and walked forward. "Waiting for your breakfast?" he asked.

The varg rose to its feet, and yes, it was definitely larger than before. Loki turned and looked at him, standing very still, then looked beyond him at the gathered Avengers. His mouth opened and tongue lolled out in what was very definitely a grin. Tony was moderately surprised to see that Loki's eyes, which has been a very bright green the night before, were now a piercing blue; somehow he hadn't expected to see any change in them, and the change was even more disturbing than the whole change-to-a-different-species thing.

"Tony..." Steve said worriedly as he continued forward and into the kitchen.

"Don't worry, Cap – remember what Thor said. He's not allowed to hurt us," Tony pointed out, then smiled toothily back at the varg. "You're between me and the coffee maker. You'd better move; you won't like me when I'm not caffeinated." His smile widened when he heard Bruce's huff of suppressed laughter at the paraphrase. Loki snorted softly, but then moved to the side, in a pointedly slow fashion that mostly put Tony in mind of the not-really-following-your-orders I'm-doing-this-because-I-want-to way that a cat might move aside when shooed.

Tony continued on toward the coffee maker. "Who's making breakfast today?" he asked as he started a pot brewing.

"Natasha's turn," Clint spoke up. Breakfast duty normally rotated between Steve, Bruce and Natasha, as they were the only three of the group that were good cooks; Clint's cooking skills only stretched as far as making things that could be heated in the toaster or pouring milk over cereal, Tony could cook reasonably well when he felt like it but especially in the mornings had too much of a tendency to get distracted and burn things – not to mention using three times as many pots, pans, and utensils as any other person, according to the rest of them – and Thor had confessed that his only cooking skills involved cooking over an open fire, and that he wasn't very good at it, though to pretty much everyone's surprise he'd proven to be an excellent scullion.

The other Avengers moved into the kitchen, all of them but Bruce keeping their distance from Loki, who was now stretched out along the base of one wall, head up and watching them with what Tony could only think of as amused interest. Bruce walked right over, stopping just a couple of feet away and looking interestedly down at him.

"Fascinating," he said. "I wonder why he changed colour morph. Jarvis, any idea when this occurred?"

" _Yes, Dr Banner. Loki changed to human form when he went to sleep last night, and then to varg again when he woke up two hours and twenty-three minutes ago._ "

"Thor had said he'd change to human form when sleeping," Natasha pointed out as she started pulling ingredients out of the fridge and cabinets. "And that he'd be an animal when awake."

"I don't think he said anything about him necessarily being the _same_ animal every time," Steve pointed out.

"Did he change the other times he's slept, Jarvis?" Bruce asked.

" _I believe last night was the first time he's slept since arriving here, Dr Banner._ "

That raised a few eyebrows around the room. Clint broke the silence with a short bark of laughter. "I can never sleep when I'm in enemy hands either, unless they drug me or I'm _really_ exhausted," he said, then grinned at Loki, more a darkly amused showing of teeth than a display of any real humour. "Don't worry, Fido, I don't think any of us has plans to turn you into a wolf-skin rug. Not even me. We like your _brother_ too much for that."

Loki managed to glare at Clint fairly credibly, which just seemed to amuse the archer even more.

"Clint, stop teasing the dog and come chop these up for me," Natasha said, gesturing at a cutting board and a selection of fresh fruit.

"Ooo... are you making blintzes? Tell me you're making blintzes," Clint exclaimed, and hurried over to take a seat and start preparing the fruit for filling.

Natasha gave him an amused smile. "Yes, I'm making blintzes," she agreed.

Tony poured himself a mug of coffee, then walked over to stand by Bruce, who was still hovering near Loki. "Let me guess... you're wishing you could study him?"

Bruce glanced at him and smiled. "Yeah. I doubt it would teach me anything useful about the other guy, but it's... well, this shape-changing thing, it's kind of cool, right?"

"Very cool," Tony agreed, then turned his own attention to Loki. "Don't think I really want to give a God of Mischief access to the labs though, so any studying you attempt would have to be up here. Assuming he's even willing to co-operate."

Loki lifted his lips to display his teeth, and growled softly.

"I'm guessing that's a no," Bruce said, sounding disappointed.

"Yeah that would be my guess too. Oh, hey, and thanks for seeing to it that Loki was fed and watered the last few days, I probably should of been making sure of that myself."

Bruce smiled and shrugged. "No problem. I like animals," he said. "They usually don't have problems with the other guy."

"Usually?" Tony asked, interested. He knew Bruce could only recall a little of what went on when he was the Hulk; little flashes, like fragments left over from a particularly vivid dream, was the way Bruce had described it.

"Well, dogs will start bark at him if he comes too close to what they think of as theirs, but mostly animals seem to treat him as just another animal, one big enough to be cautious around but... they're usually not scared of him. Kind of fascinating the way he can interact with them sometimes, really," Bruce said, then looked away. "I should make my tea," he said vaguely, and wandered away.

Tony let him go without further questioning; he'd found it was easiest to get Bruce talking about the big guy if he didn't push. Just express an interest in something about him, and then let Bruce think about it for a while and decide if he was comfortable talking about it or not. If he was, then later today or a few days from now, Bruce would just casually speak up and talk about it for a while... if not, neither of them would mention it again.

Instead he returned his attention to Loki, who was just lying there, eyes focused on him. "Right. Breakfast? I'm thinking not blintzes, since it would take more blintzes than Natasha is usually willing to make to fill you up. More meat, I suppose," he said, and went over to the fridge, opening it and looking to see what they had on hand.

Breakfast for Loki ended up being a cottage roll ham, cut into big chunks, and an entire large tray of breakfast sausages, once they'd been cooked. Tony didn't think raw pork could actually hurt the god, but figured erring on the side of caution for once was the smart thing to do. Loki also showed interest in the blintzes, but since Natasha hadn't cooked any extra for him, he had to do without.

"Please tell me he's not making puppy-dog eyes at me and my blintzes," Clint complained partway through breakfast.

"He's not, he's making baby-varg-eyes at all of us," Tony assured him.

"Oh, like that makes it so much better," Clint said, then glared at Loki and pulled his plate closer to himself. "My blintzes! You're not getting any, Rover."

"Here, you can have one of mine," Steve said, picking up one of the finger-size rolled pancakes from his plate and offering it to Loki.

"No, Steve! Don't fall for the puppy-dog eyes!" Tony gasped in mock horror, watching Loki warily. To his surprise Loki didn't snap it from Steve's hand, the way he had the bit of steak the night before; instead he sat very still, looking back at Steve, then slowly leaned forward and took the blintz carefully from his fingers, almost daintily, if a wolf the size of a small horse could ever truly be described as doing anything in a dainty manner. One chew, and then the whole blintz disappeared down his throat. After which he just sat there for a moment, still looking at Steve. And then rose to his feet, wagged his tail once, and trotted away, returning to the common room.

"I can't decide what is weirding me out more," Tony said. "Someone at this table actually being willing to give up one of their blintzes, or that Loki just wagged his tail."

Clint and Steve both laughed at that; Natasha and Bruce merely looked thoughtful.


	6. It'll Be Fun

Bruce wandered into Tony's lab and sat down on the beaten-up old couch to one side, in the loose-limbed sprawl that Tony knew meant he was currently relaxed and in a good mood. It always made him feel good to see that, to know that Bruce was comfortable here in the tower, as he'd been comfortable almost nowhere since the other guy had become part of his life.

Neither of them said anything; they were both fine with such quiet moments around the other, the little-over-a-year of their friendship since that first meeting on SHIELD's helicarrier having made them comfortable with silences.

"He likes animals," Bruce said after a while, and Tony nodded, put down his tools, and took a seat to listen, focus shifting entirely to listen to whatever Bruce was willing to share. "They're easier than people. They either don't like him and quietly go away, or they ignore his presence, and sometimes they'll even get curious and come over and make friends with him, as much as animals do make friends between different species, which is actually rather a lot. I get the memories of it sometimes... just glimpses. A squirrel sitting on his knee to eat a pine-cone, a deer and her fawn grazing nearby while he sits in the grass and wildflowers, watching. Sharing a berry patch with a black bear. Playing with a fox somewhere. Roaring back at a mountain lion; that one didn't go so well. I think it might have had a den full of kittens nearby."

He paused for a while, thinking, then shrugged and continued. "I think it might be in part because he.. because _we_ are vegetarian. They smell different; animals know he's not about to eat them, he's just something big and mostly harmless. Like a moose, or an elephant."

"Makes sense," Tony agreed, nodding.

"Yeah. And given how big he is, there's very few predators willing to see if they can bring him down, so... he doesn't have problems with them either, most of the time. Except for barky dogs, and mothers with young. He usually just runs away from either of those."

"Cool," Tony said, and smiled.

"Yeah," Bruce agreed, and smiled back.

Tony sprang back to his feet, picking up his tools again. "How would we study Loki anyway? I haven't a clue about how to detect whatever magic is. I have to believe it's some sort of detectable power or energy, because... well..."

"Because it has to make sense, yeah," Bruce agreed, straightening up a little from his sprawl, eyes brightening with interest, well-used to Tony's mercurial changes of mood and topic. "Any sufficiently advanced technology and all that."

"Yeah, that," Tony agreed, then dropped his tools again and turned to look at Bruce. "I suppose we'd need to set up a lot of sensors, covering as broad a spectrum as we can, and just hope that we'd be able to pick up something when he changes. But it might be something really hard to detect, which is why we as a race haven't tripped over it before this."

"Like neutrinos were?"

"Yeah, exactly... something that sleets through common matter so easily that it's only with sheer dumb luck in the right conditions that it can be detected at all with our current crude tools. Like a caveman trying to capture and listen to radio waves, except I really hope we're a lot closer to it than cavemen would have been. Medieval or Renaissance, maybe... still so far beyond us that we barely have the vocabulary to begin to understand and discuss that it can even exist, but we're at least on the right path to it."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully. "To build the sensors for neutrinos took at least a theoretical understanding of them though; a good guess as to their properties, of how they interact with other matter. We don't have even that much of an understanding of whatever it is that makes up magic."

"Yeah, we don't," Tony agreed, and frowned. "And even if he could talk to us, I don't think Loki's exactly going to be in a forthcoming mood. But I also doubt he'd going to be the only magic-user we ever have to deal with, so... we need to try and figure this out. How can we properly defend against it otherwise?"

"Good point," Bruce agreed. "If it even can be defended against by anyone who isn't themselves a magic-user."

"I have to believe it makes scientific sense. It's possible to defend against electricity with non-electric devices; in fact some of the best defences for it are things that use no electricity themselves."

"Lightning rods and Faraday cages."

"Exactly," Tony agreed, pointing at him with a screwdriver before going back to adjusting tiny screws. "If we can learn enough about magic to make even that crude of a defence against it, we'll at least be started on the right path to truly understanding it, maybe even some day being able to use and manipulate it." He paused, then grinned widely. "Besides, it'll be fun," he pointed out.

Bruce laughed. "Right. _Fun_. I can't really start helping you with anything about it right now though."

"Ah, right... you have that conference thing you're going to. Leaving tomorrow? Or the next day?"

"Tomorrow. If all goes well, I'll be back in three days."

Tony nodded, carefully not making a big thing out of the fact that Bruce was going out on his own, without one of the Avengers or a group of SHIELD agents to cover his back; being a normal guy for once and attending a conference, starting to carefully ease back into the academic side of being a scientist. A side Tony himself had never particularly cared for, but which he knew Bruce had come to miss in his years as a fugitive. Though it was another thing that made him happy; that Bruce had the option of doing so now, without having to worry about that idiot General Ross showing up with half the army in an attempt to capture him. That Bruce felt self-confident enough in his own self-control to attend.

And if anyone spoiled that for Bruce... well, Tony was reasonably certain he wouldn't be the only Avenger who'd come down like a ton of bricks on whomever it was.

* * *

Loki was still a white varg the next day, but by the following morning he was a smaller grey one, and Jarvis reported that he had indeed slept and been humanoid again before changing colour and size. Tony found himself wondering if the shapes Loki changed to on waking were a conscious choice, a sequence the spell was cycling through, or some sort of random selection. Short of Loki deciding to start communicating with them and being willing to attempt to answer questions – which so far he seemed entirely disinclined to do – Tony couldn't imagine any way to determine the answer.

It was still startling at times to come across the huge wolf, but gradually they were all getting used to Loki's presence in the Tower, even Clint becoming better-able to ignore him and go ahead with his usual routine. Tony continued seeing that he was fed properly, having asked Jarvis to remind him when it was time so that he wouldn't become so absorbed in work in his laboratory that he forget to do so. Loki continued showing up in the kitchen when team members were there eating, and begging for tidbits. So far Steve was the only person to have visibly given in to the puppy-eyes treatment and begun sneaking scraps to him, but Tony found himself having to be very stern with himself to not do the same; the God of Mischief was surprisingly effective at looking pitiable, for a being that had killed hundreds of people not all that long before, and was currently a very large and sharp-toothed predator.

Coming into the common room one day to find Steve seated on the floor giving Loki's ruff a thorough scratching – now in an red-tipped yellow coat that made Tony think more of foxes or coyotes than wolves – was the point at which Tony began to think they had all been insane to have agreed to Thor's request. The god had been here less than two weeks and already people were beginning to lower their guard around him. Thor might have assured them that Loki could do no harm to anyone while bound by the spell, but the Thunderer had so far proven to not exactly be as omnipotent a being as that whole 'God of Storms' title might suggest. In fact, as far as Tony could see, he'd always had a huge blind spot where Loki was, and Tony had no guarantee that his assurances were was truthful as Thor had stated.

Besides; Loki was the God of Mischief, among other titles. If he wasn't already hard at work on finding a way to subvert or break the spells binding him, Tony would eat his arc reactor.

* * *

Loki licked his shoulder thoughtfully, eyes fixed on the doorway nearby, though he pretended that all of his attention was currently focused on dealing with an itchy patch of fur. The entertainment room, he knew, where the home theatre might be found. A place the Avengers gathered regularly, as they had this evening, the sounds of conversation and laughter overlaying the sound of the cinematic entertainment, the _movie_ , that they were engaged in watching this evening.

A pattern of sound he was well-familiar with from home, those sounds of merriment; friends gathered together, enjoying each other's company, the bonds of their friendships drawing tighter as they shared food and beverages and tales of adventure, even if here these tales were light projected on a wall instead of stories of their own valour spoken by a living tongue. He felt a hollowness in the pit of his stomach, remembering like gatherings of Sif, the Warriors Three and other boon companions of Thor. Remembering, too, how often the conversations changed tone or broke off entirely when he entered the room; not as a pause for cheerful acknowledgement, as Thor was usually met with, but a greeting of uneasiness, suspicion, silence; he was unwelcome there among his so-called brother's friends, even long before he had ever done anything worse than a few minor pranks.

As he was not welcome here, either, the entertainment room not included among the small area that Stark had allowed him access to.

He heard another burst of louder conversation among them, and rose to his feet, slinking closer to the door, lowering himself to lie along the wall to one side of it, his head projecting just enough past the frame of the doorway to be able to peer into the room and see what they were doing. The room they were in was far from as fine as Thor's apartments; a small and dark room filled with comfortable-looking furnishings, within which the four of them currently in residence were seated, all with food and drinks to hand, watching the movie.

"Shhh, shh, here comes the best part," Stark was exclaiming loudly, everyone pausing their conversations to watch the screen for a moment.

"We don't see anything Val – now what the hell are you talking about, over."

"Burt, they're under the ground. They're _under_ the _ground_. And they dig like a sunnovabitch. Big monsters, underground, now get out. _Hurry!_ "

Loki watched in perplexed fascination for a while, ears twitching backwards in irritation at the continued loud noises from the room, both from the movie and from the commentary of the Avengers as they loudly critiqued the tactics and marksmanship of the characters on screen, bursting into loud laughter a couple of times, the closeness and ease of their friendships made clear by the way they interacted. He rose after a while, and padded off to the kitchen, ignoring the way the fur on his back was raising, the growl that wanted to form in his throat. They were but lowly mortals; what did he care about their plebian celebrations?

He sniffed at his water dish, and lapped up a few mouthfuls of water, wishing he had something better to drink. Purer water at minimum, and some finer beverage by preference. He nosed around the now-empty dish in which his dinner had been served earlier – a generous helping of the same beef stew that the Avengers themselves had been eating for their meal – then sighed and flopped down on the floor.

He knew the signs. He was growing bored of his stay here. A pity their initial fear of him had subsided so quickly; perhaps the varg had not been as suitable a choice of form as he'd thought. Despite its size, it resembled too much in form the well-tamed creatures that many of them kept as companions, their dogs. Perhaps a different choice might be worth trying. Something larger; something even more obviously deadly and far less friendly to their kind.

His eyes narrowed in amusement as he considered choices.


	7. Eye of the Tiger

Tony was almost to the door of the common room when he heard a loud startled shout; Steve, by the sound of it, followed a moment later buy a yell from Clint. He raced forward, wondering if he was going to need to suit up as well, and came to a sudden stop just inside the doorway, an undignified yelp escaping his own lips.

There was a lion in the common room.

Not a lion, he slowly began to realize as he took a second, closer look at it. It didn't have much of a mane – more of a small ruff of slightly longer, darker hairs – and the coat was subtly dappled, not an even colour. Then Loki turned his head to look at Tony – golden eyes this time, he noticed in passing – the two huge fangs projecting from its mouth making it obvious just what it actually was. That was a giant fucking _sabre-toothed tiger_ in the common room.

He glanced across the room, to where Cap and Clint were standing in the elevator lobby, both of them looking pale as they peered in at Loki. A faint chime signalled the arrival of Natasha, who too her credit only froze and gasped on sighting Loki's new form.

"Are we still sure he can't hurt us?" Clint called out uneasily.

"Um. Yeah... maybe?" Tony answered, and edged a couple feet further into the room. "You know, I'm suddenly really glad that I planned the tower to have such high weight-bearing tolerances."

"That's got to weigh a lot more than your Iron Man suits do, Tony," Steve pointed out.

"Yeah, but these floors of the tower were all retrofitted to be able to support the Hulk plus extensive company, so I think we're good. Probably," he added, feeling the rider might actually be necessary, and forced himself to take another step closer to Loki.

Loki, for his part, just lay there staring at him, eyes slitting partially closed. Claws slid out from the toes of his front paws, big sharp claws that put Tony even more on edge than the obvious fangs did.

"I have a sudden craving for breakfast out," Clint said, a little breathlessly.

"You know, so do I," Steve agreed.

"I know a good place for pancakes nearby," Natasha said calmly.

"As good as your blintzes?" Clint asked, sounding interested.

"No. But they're good pancakes."

"Sounds good to me," Tony said, and then grasped his fraying control firmly in hand and darted around the edge of the room, joining them in the lobby.

"Don't forget you need to feed him," Clint said, nodding his head in Loki's direction.

"I know," Tony said, making a face. "And I'll feel much more up to it once I've had some coffee. A lot of coffee. Also, we don't have anywhere near enough meat on hand to feed a carnivore that big." He turned back and pointed at Loki. "It's your own fault your breakfast will be late! I'm going to need to get a butcher to deliver a side of mutton or beef or something. So no complaints!"

Loki just stared at him, then licked his lips in a manner that suggested there were other things he could eat, and not at all in the fun way of being eaten. The Avengers hurriedly piled into the elevator and headed downstairs, Natasha quickly leading them out of the building and south past Grand Central Station, to a restaurant tucked in underneath the Park Avenue Viaduct.

"Oh, hey, I've eaten here before," Cap said, looking pleased. "Though for lunch, not breakfast. They do really good sandwiches."

They were soon seated in the restaurant, most of them ordering the buttermilk pancakes, though Steve opted for the New Yorker breakfast instead, with a side of corned beef hash. Tony spent the time until their food arrived on his phone, tracking down a butcher willing to deliver to the tower, and offering a sizable tip to have the meat delivered within the hour.

"Man, I wish you were paying for my food. I don't think I've ever paid that much for meat in, even over a six month period," Clint spoke up.

"I _am_ paying for your food, Clint... and your housing. And most of your toys," Tony pointed out. "Who do you think makes sure the cupboards are stocked and the living room full of good movies and games?"

"Jarvis," Clint and Natasha both said, Steve saying "Pepper" at almost the same time.

"Wait, what, Pepper? Jarvis I could maybe agree with, though it's my credit card he's using for all of that so it's still, you know, technically _me_. What about Pepper?"

Steve smiled. "Pepper brings by games and movies she thinks I'd like. And snacks. And books."

"Books. You mean actual dead trees? I thought I gave you a tablet with accounts at all the big ebook retailers?"

"You did. And I like it, a lot. But there's a lot of books I want to read that aren't available as ebooks, and I kind of like real books, especially when it comes to art books. There's a difference between a tiny little digital screen and a folio-sized coffee table book, you know."

"There is? I mean, there is. Obviously. So you like big books?"

Steve smiled again, looking amused. "Yes, I like big books."

Clint dissolved in laughter. Steve looked over at him, smile widening. "And yes, I get that reference, even misquoted." Even Natasha smiled a little at that, and Tony found a bark of laughter escaping him.

"You're getting the hang of this whole pop culture thing," he said approvingly.

"Believe it or not, we had pop culture in the 40s, we just didn't call it that. And most of my references you probably wouldn't get, since their time is so far past, Daddy Warbucks."

Tony gasped and reeled as if he'd been hit, almost falling out of his chair. "Daddy Warbucks. _Daddy Warbucks_. Okay, I actually got that reference, but only because Pepper has a low taste in musicals. Does that mean you're little orphan Annie?"

"No, I'd be Annie and Clint is obviously my loyal dog Sandy," Natasha said, smiling. "I'm thinking Steve is more of the Li'l Abner or Joe Palooka type."

Steve positively beamed at Natasha. "I think I prefer Li'l Abner, though we're not much alike; I was a scrawny little guy until the serum. And a city boy."

"Wait, wait, wait... what is Natasha doing with more knowledge of vintage Americana than I have?" Tony asked.

"I studied it, both as part of my training and later, when I was just curious; most of my work since joining SHIELD has been based out of the States, after all."

Clint grinned. "And she has a low taste in newspaper comics. You should see her collection. I don't think I've ever seen as many Giles annuals in one place before."

"Giles?" Steve said, perking up further. "I think I remember that name... British cartoonist, wasn't he?"

"Yes. He was just starting out during the war. I'll loan you some to read, if you like, though you need to handle them carefully; the oldest editions are a little fragile."

"I'd like that," Steve said, smiling fondly at her. "Thank you."

"All right, enough group bonding," Tony interrupted. "More important things to talk about than antique comics, as fascinating as the subject clearly is to some of you."

"These things being?" Steve asked.

"Loki, Thor, Asgard being at war against the chitauri, wondering why they were after Loki and what makes him any safer sitting here in Stark Tower than he was in a jail cell on Asgard... In Asgard? At Asgard? Whatever. We weren't really given any chance to ask questions or think it over before Thor dumped him on us – on me, more particularly – and the more I've thought about it since, the more unanswered questions I find myself having. Also wondering just how long we're stuck with him for, and if this artifact-spell-friendship-bracelet-from-hell-thing has anything like an expiration date," he finished, tapping one finger against where the crystal bead was hidden under his clothes.

That set the rest of them to frowning. "Thor wasn't exactly very forthcoming on details, was he," Clint said after a brief silence.

"No, he wasn't," Natasha agreed. "But I don't see how we're to find out any further details at this point; he's not on hand to be asked."

"No, but we do have another Asgardian on hand," Clint pointed out.

"Aesir," Steve and Tony said, pretty much in sync. "The correct term is Aesir," Steve explained.

"Aesir, Asgardian, whatever," Clint said, making an impatient gesture. "We do have Loki on hand, and it's clear he can understand what we say."

"The problem is persuading him to attempt to answer our questions," Steve said.

"That's just one of the problems," Tony corrected. "There's also the small issue of whether or not we can actually trust anything he says, if we can manage to get him talking. Well, not so much talking since right now he _can't_ , but if we can get him playing an ongoing game of twenty questions with us."

"Judging by his little display this morning, I don't think he's particularly inclined to be friendly," Natasha said.

"Turning into a carnivore the size of a full-size sedan does seem rather a bit of a fuck off signal," Tony agreed. "Hostile. Also, scary. Just glad I had the floors reinforced for... oh shit," he said, freezing as a realization hit him, and quickly fumbling his phone out of his pocket to check the time.

"What?" Steve asked worriedly.

"Bruce. He was supposed to be arriving at the airport early this morning, I arranged a limo to pick him up..." Tony said distractedly as he quickly dialled through to his new driver, still missing Happy, who worked for Pepper now, not Tony. "Hey! It's me... did you pick up Dr Banner? Yes? Okay, keep him in the... you already dropped him off? _Shit!_ " he exclaimed, and bolted from the restaurant, not even breaking stride as he dropped a handful of large bills on their waitress's tray in passing, the rest of the team following at his heels.


	8. Curiosity

"Jarvis!" Tony shouted as soon as they entered the elevator. "Warn Bruce..."

"Dr Banner has already been made aware, sir," Jarvis interupted calmly. "He is examining your guest already."

"Huh. Well, thank god for that," Tony said, slumping back against the wall of the elevator. "He's okay? Not in the least green-tinged?"

"He's just peachy, sir."

"Well, that's kind of anti-climactic," Clint said, sounding aggrieved.

"Better than the alternative," Steve pointed out.

Natasha ticked her head to the side in her usual 'he has a point' movement.

"So, anyone want off at their own floor?" Tony asked, trying to sound normal when his heart and breathing were still on the rather-too-fast side of things.

"No thanks, I'm pretty sure sure this is something that falls into the 'you have to see it to believe it' category, and I want to see it," Natasha said thoughtfully. Clint and Steve nodded agreement.

A couple of minutes later the high-speed elevator slowed and eased to a stop at their common floor, and the group of them piled out into the lobby. Loki was where they'd left him, still stretched out in the middle of the common room, though he was staring with an almost affronted look at Bruce, who had his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose and was peering closely at the big cat's dentition, his face only inches from the giant fangs.

"Um... morning, Bruce," Tony called out, taking a few steps closer and trying not to sound or look as freaked out as he was currently feeling. "Have a good time at the conference?"

Bruce glanced his way, and smiled. "Just fine, yes. This is fascinating," he said, waving at Loki and ignoring the way the cat's ears went back and mouth gaped slightly. "I'd say _smilodon populator_ except the largest known specimen of that was only about two-thirds the size that Loki currently is. I'm not sure if the change indicates a different species, like the varg as compared to our wolves, or if he's just exaggerating the size on purpose."

"Aren't those extinct? I'm pretty sure those are extinct," Tony pointed out.

"Extinct here, yes, for about ten thousand years or so. The quaternary extinction event; most remaining megafauna died out then. But that isn't to say that similar animals might not have survived elsewhere in the nine realms," Bruce explained, then turned back to look at Loki. "I wish I could take samples of you. Though that raises the question, is your shape-shifting something that affects you right down to the genetic level, or are you simply a cat-shaped clump of Aesir flesh."

Loki actually stared at the doctor for a long moment, then made an odd sneezing sound, rose to a seated position, and sat there looking back at Bruce with almost the same level of curiosity as Bruce had been focusing on him.

"I think he likes you," Clint said hesitantly.

Loki shot a narrow-eyed look his way, then returned to looking at Bruce. Bruce smiled. "I don't think that _like_ is the correct word," Bruce said thoughtfully. "More like we have a truce; he doesn't want a visit from the other guy any more than I do," Bruce explained. "So we're both being very polite with each other. May I?" he asked softly, lifting one hand a little towards Loki's head.

Loki gave him another long stare, ears going back, then made a soft huffing sound and lowered his head a little, ears straightening again. Bruce stepped closer, hands lifting to gently begin examining Loki's head, testing the texture of his fur, fingers probing through it to trace the underlying bone and muscle, even very carefully touching at the exposed fangs and teeth, at least until Loki abruptly turned his head away, having clearly had enough. Bruce smiled and stepped back, then began to circle him, no longer touching him but just studying him visually.

"Sir, there's delivery coming up in the main elevator," Jarvis spoke up.

"That should be Loki's breakfast," Tony said, sounding pleased. "Also lunch and dinner. Good thing we have more storage space than just a standard refrigerator, yes?"

* * *

Watching Loki making short work of half a sheep carcass for his breakfast was a mix of both amazing and really, really gross, Tony quickly decided. It made him thankful he'd thought to spread a drop cloth first, especially once Loki reached the point where he was cracking the bigger bones to get at the marrow inside. Bruce watched with obvious interest, not in the least put off by it despite his own vegetarian diet, while Clint, Natasha and Steve opted for a strategic retreat to the gym downstairs, decided they'd rather go spar than stick around watching Loki eating.

"You really want to study him?" Tony asked, glancing questioningly at Bruce.

"Yeah, I really want to study him. The magic, the different forms, everything. And don't try telling me you don't. At least the magic, anyway. Have you had any further thoughts on that?"

"Just worrisome ones, really," Tony said, and glanced over at Loki, then frowned and pulled Bruce by the arm, leading him well beyond what he hoped was earshot distance of the cat. Only then did he explain what he'd been talking to the rest of the team about right before they'd remembered that Bruce was due home.

Bruce nodded thoughtfully when Tony explained his worries about just how safe it really was to have someone apparently wanted by hordes of chitauri here, as well as his concern over how they didn't have any idea how long they'd be minding the God of Lies for Thor, or whether the spell binding him might eventually wear off.

"All the more reason to study him," Bruce said.

"I suppose so," Tony agreed. "All right, why don't we start by going to the lab and making a list of all the different sorts of detectors we can point at him to try and sense whatever happens when his magic kicks in? Who knows, maybe we'll luck out and find out that it can be detected by current technology, though I'm not holding my breath on it."

"Sounds like a plan," Bruce agreed, and the two headed downstairs to Tony's lab.

* * *

Loki is entertained by the initial reaction of the Avengers to his change in form. Their initial surprise amuses him; their fear afterwards delights him, at least until after they have left. It is only then that he begins to consider how most beings have only three common reactions to fear; to avoid the source of it – which the Avengers have done by retreating from their home – to attempt to placate it, or to destroy it. Avoidance, while amusing at first, would quickly become boring. He doubts the Avengers would ever try to please him. That leaves destruction, and while he does not believe they can kill him, he knows that they can harm him. Pain has never been something that he has liked.

He is lying there considering the possibility of harm to him when the elevator chimes, and Bruce Banner walks out into the lobby. Now it is he that feels fear, or at least a level of uneasiness that few other beings can raise in him. He lies very still, watching as Bruce stands there looking at him, then slowly walks towards him. Loki is startled to realize that the man is neither shocked nor fearful, merely curious, and finds his own interest piqued by that. As a result he remains quiet while Banner slowly approaches, pausing briefly to slip a pair of glasses out of his shirt pocket and hooking them carefully over his ears before moving even closer and beginning to examine Loki.

Loki cannot decide whether the interest being shown in his current form is more amusing or offending, but he is hesitant to do anything that might bring out the beast when Banner is already in such close proximity to him. He watches Banner with almost as much curiosity as the man is showing toward himself. When not the beast, Banner is a man of science, he knows, and one of the few who matches Stark in intellect; were it not for his lack of control over his transformation from man to beast, he might have been a good choice as Loki's handler.

When the others return, he is amused anew to realize they had feared Banner's reaction to him, or perhaps his to Banner, or both. When Bruce speaks of a truce between the two of them, he decides the man is correct, and finally decides that the man's interest in Loki's current form is more amusing than offensive. Loki even permits him to take the liberty of briefly handling him, and is pleased by the obvious care that the man takes with it; Banner fears him, yes, but his intellect overcomes his fear.

It puts him in a better mood, as does the arrival of his breakfast. The rapid retreat of several of the Avengers, clearly off-put by the dining habits of large felines, amuses him further. Though once Stark and Banner depart as well he all too quickly finds himself beginning to feel bored again, and then angry at both himself and the world around him that there is currently nothing he can do to amuse himself beyond trying to upset the Avengers.

By early afternoon his anger is passed, and it is once again boredom that he is experiencing most of all. To his annoyance, the Avengers have already adjusted to his latest form and seem to have lost their initial fear of it; Steve Rogers even comes in and sits down on one of the couches, with a pad of paper and squared-off sticks of some black substance that stain his fingers as he sketches with them. It is only when he leaves briefly to get himself some juice from the kitchen, and leaves the pad laying face-up on the couch, that Loki realizes the man is sketching _him_. Or at least his current form.

He isn't sure just what he feels about that, but it is not anger, so he does nothing, allowing the man to continue until Steve is called away to join the rest of the team for supper in the kitchen.

Loki is feeling annoyed with his form by now; it is inconveniently large. He has only limited space to move around within the room, and the kitchen is too full of things – and people – for him to fit into there easily. Nor, he realizes, will he be able to make use of the bathroom, which while inconvenient as a warg was at least possible.

With some degree of irritation, wishing the Avengers were being quieter as they ate and talked, he wedges himself in a corner of the room as best he might, and strives for sleep, aiming for some smaller form.

* * *

Steve gave a startled yelp and flinched back into the kitchen, almost knocking Tony off his feet as the larger man back-pedalled into him.

"Jesus, Cap, what's the problem?" Tony asked, frowning as he steadied Steve.

"Um, Loki... he, um..." Steve stuttered, blushing furiously.

"Oh... is he sleeping already?" Tony asked, interested, and edged part Steve, walking out into the common room, unsurprised to spot Loki lying sprawled out on the floor, lying on his side, head cushioned on one folded arm and only barely fig-leafed by the twisted position in which he lay. "Yup, that's our Sleeping Beauty."

"He... he sleeps _naked!?_ " Steve exclaimed, horrified.

"Relax, Cap, just avert your eyes if it bothers you. It's not like he has any choice."

"That doesn't look very comfortable," Clint pointed out, peering around Tony's shoulder.

"Yeah, well, normally he sleeps on the chair, but I guess that latest form was too big for anywhere but the floor."

"On the chair? In the nude? Doesn't he get cold?" Natasha asked, pushing by the group of them to get a look too.

"Remind me not to ever sit on that chair again. _Ever,_ " Clint said.

"Why would he get cold? Stark Tower has magnificent climate control," Tony pointed out. "Only reason we need bedding in our bedrooms is because those are purposefully set up to be a touch on the cooler side for comfort. And the chair isn't going to give you naked Aesir cooties, Clint. But I'll have it cleaned anyway, once Loki sleeping on it ceases to be a thing."

"I think he should have a blanket anyway," Steve said firmly, keeping his eyes turned away.

"I second that," Bruce agreed, and ducked into their entertainment room, coming back out with one of the blankets kept there and spreading it over the sleeping man, much to Steve's relief, and Tony and Natasha's disappointment.

"There, see Steve? All better now, no more naked Loki butt to scar your sensibilities," Tony said, then yelped as Natasha punched his arm. "Ow! Steve, Natasha hit me! Make her stop hitting me!"

"Why should I make her stop hitting you? Why is it my job?" Steve asked, lips twitching slightly as he tried to hide his amusement.

"Aren't you team leader? Doesn't that make you, like, our honorary Dad or something?" Tony asked.

"I don't think I want to be anyone's Dad. And particularly not yours, since you'd obviously be the delinquent son."

"Ooo, ouch! And here I always had Clint pegged for that title," Tony said, and grinned at Clint.

Clint merely gave him a dirty look in return.

"Tony, why don't we get back to the lab and finish what we were working on?" Bruce suggested.

"Okay, but only because you asked so nicely, and I like you," Tony said, and allowed himself to be led away for further discussion on magic and its possible detection.


	9. Enrichment Activities

When Steve wandered into the common room the next morning, he got just a glimpse of a large cat-like animal stretched out on the couch before it leapt to its feet and dashed off into hiding. Loki was apparently in an anti-social mood, though he did appear again mid-way through breakfast, sidling into the kitchen the moment Tony started cutting up some of the meat leftover from yesterday's bulk purchase. Loki was definitely some sort of cat, a couple of feet tall at the shoulders, with thick fuzzy fur in a dappled greyish-beige colour, a white ruff around his face and long black hairs at the tips of his ears. He watched from the floor at first, then jumped up onto the counter, hooking a lump of beef right off of the cutting board with one sharp-clawed paw, displaying an impressive mouthful of sharp teeth as he hunkered down and started tearing at the meat.

Tony yelped, flinching away from the sudden movement, then scowled at Loki. "Are we going to need a rule about you not being allowed on counters?" he asked. Loki growled at him, and continued gnawing apart the meat he was holding down with one forepaw.

"I don't think that would be entirely fair, considering we let Clint up on them," Steve pointed out.

"We don't _let_ him, we just can't stop him," Tony said. "There's a difference. Down, Loki – no cats on the counters."

Loki made a spitting sound, but picked up what remained of his meat in his mouth and dropped back to the floor, crouching down and resuming eating it right beside Tony's feet, then when that was all eaten sat and stared fixedly at the bowl as Tony finished filling it with enough meat for Loki's breakfast. Steve had to hold back a laugh at the way Loki ahead-behinded around Tony's feet as he walked over to set the bowl down to one side of the room, out of the way of foot traffic; it was so very much like the way a house cat would have done the same. Nor was he the only one amused by the resemblance, judging by the way Bruce was smiling down at his bowl of granola and Natasha's carefully blank expression.

Clint walked into the room, late for breakfast, and stopped to stare for a moment at Loki. "So do we know what this one is?" he asked after a moment, continuing on to grab his share of the stuffed omelets that Steve had cooked for breakfast.

" _Lynx canadensis_ , at a guess," Bruce said. "Also known as the Canadian lynx. Note the large paws and powerful back legs."

"He looks like a jackrabbit crossed with a Maine coon," Clint observed, which earned him a flat-eared glare from Loki. Clint just grinned right back at him; aggressively, not humorously. Loki made a grumbling sound, then turned his back on Clint and continued eating his breakfast, back hunched with annoyance.

Clint laughed, and crammed another forkful of omelet into his mouth. Natasha shook her head slightly, then frowned as her phone beeped. She pulled it out and checked the screen, then sighed and pushed aside her already-empty plate. "Clint, Coulson wants us," she said as she slid off the stool and rose to her feet.

Clint looked up, eyes widening in surprise, fork full of food paused halfway to his mouth. "Now?"

"Yes."

"But I'm not finished breakfast!"

"You are now," Natasha said remorselessly, and tugged on his arm. Clint dropped his fork to his plate, and grabbed his remaining piece of toast before following her out, muttering unhappily over having to abandon the rest of his half-eaten breakfast.

Steve sighed and leaned over to snag Clint's plate, transferring the leftovers onto his own, ignoring the look Tony gave him when he did. Old habits die hard, and he really hated seeing good food go to waste, especially when it was something he himself had cooked. Anyway, with his metabolism the concept of 'extra calories' was pretty much a non-issue.

"Good breakfast, Cap," Tony said.

"Thanks. Listen, I've been thinking..."

"About?"

"Loki," Steve said, nodding to where the lynx was busy licking his bowl clean. Loki looked up at them for a moment, end of his tongue still sticking out, then snorted and turned away to lap thirstily at his water. "He should have a proper place to sleep, instead of having to sleep on the floor or the couch."

"What, you want me to give him his own bedroom? I don't know how well that's going to work out, if he's going to make a habit of changing into... what did you call them, Bruce... megafauna? Great big heavy animals, anyway."

"Well, maybe not an actual bed, but at least a room of his own, and some sort of pad or mattress on the floor for him to sleep on," Steve suggested. "You promised Thor you'd look after him."

"I did," Tony agreed. "All right, I suppose a room of his own is reasonable. I suppose I can clear out my office and let him use that one."

"You have an office here?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"Yeah, which I never use, which is why it's no loss to let Loki have the space instead. I'll call Pepper and have her send some people up to sort and haul everything away," Tony said as he poured himself a final mug of coffee, then wandered off, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he left, already scrolling to Pepper's number.

Bruce looked amused, which he often seemed to be, and after finishing his granola and tea wandered off as well, leaving Steve and Loki in possession of the kitchen. Loki leaped up up on one of the stools at the breakfast counter, sniffing interestedly at the plates. Steve smiled. "Want some?" he asked.

Loki stared at him for a long moment, then looked at the omelet still left on Steve's plate, and licked his lips hungrily. Steve slid the plate over in front of him, then rose to his feet and began gathering up dishes and cutlery, putting everything in the dishwasher. When he was done, he rinsed and refilled the water bowl. Loki had disappeared by then, gone into hiding somewhere in the common room. With nothing better to do, Steve headed down to his own floor for a while.

* * *

"What do you think? This do?" Tony asked Steve.

Steve looked around the room. No sign remained that it had been an office until just a couple of hours before. Now it was pretty much an empty room, the floor bare hardwood, filled with light from the floor-to-ceiling windows at one side, a small private balcony the only thing blocking what was otherwise a spectacular view of Manhattan. A bare king-sized futon mattress lay along one wall, and apart from that there wasn't anything in the place.

"I dunno," Steve said. "It seems a little... spartan."

"Spartan?" Tony asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Bare. Empty. I mean, apart from the mattress it _is_ empty. Shouldn't it have more stuff in it?"

"He's got a point," Bruce agreed, looking around. "Even most zoo animals get enrichment objects in their pens these days."

"Enrichment objects?" Tony asked, puzzled.

"Yeah... toys," Bruce clarified. "Sometimes special foods. Things to keep them entertained and occupied, basically. And those are just actual animals; as far as I can tell, Loki still has a human intellect inside whatever animal head he's currently wearing. A room like this has nothing in it to interest him."

"Ah, right," Tony said, and thought for a moment. "I suppose having a bored God of Mischief on hand isn't a great idea. Okay, so what kind of toys are we talking here?"

Bruce shrugged. "I can't really say. I think maybe a mix of things that would interest whatever animal forms he happens to take, and things to occupy his human mind."

"The physical side shouldn't be too hard, though we might need to mix it up as he changes forms," Steve pointed out. "Things like scratching posts, assorted sizes of balls, a cardboard box or two..."

Tony laughed. "A lynx-sized cat dangler and some assorted perches, maybe? All right. Why don't you two see what you can do about animal toys, I think Jarvis and I can set up something to entertain his people-brain. You two have the credit cards Pepper arranged for everyone? Great, put any purchases on those," he said, and headed off down to his lab to do some quick programming work and gather up a few things he'd need.

On his way back up, he paused in the common room long enough to call out for Loki to follow him, then headed back to the room. Loki looked around it with some disdain, then went and flopped on his side on the mattress, lifting his head and watching through narrowed eyes as Tony set to work.

The first step was to install additional sensors around the room, so Jarvis could see Loki more clearly, and the second was to install several sets of the projectors that would allow the AI to display the same sort of hologram-based interfaces here as Tony liked to use in his lab. By the time he had those set up, there was already a delivery of some extra components he'd rush-ordered while down in his lab earlier, including a state of the art sound system and a large flat-screen TV.

Steve showed up with a bunch of items he'd bought for Loki just in time to help Tony install the electronics, or at least to supply the muscle to hold them in place while Tony did all the attaching to supports and wiring. Loki wandered around for a little, thankfully staying out from underfoot as he investigated the selection of balls and toys and rawhide chews and so forth that Steve had picked up, eventually returning to his mattress dragging a rawhide bone clearly sized for something like a great dane, and settling down to gnaw on it while watching them attentively.

"Fire it up, Jarvis," Tony eventually said, and watched as a hologram panel opened up in the middle of the room, blank except for the outline marking its limits and a few large buttons inside the frame. "Adjust to a size and height appropriate for Loki to use," he added, and the panel's image dropped down to just above floor level, and drifted closer to one of the walls. Loki stared, then dropped his chew and stalked closer, staring at the hologram. Steve watched Loki almost as intently as the lynx was looking at the panel.

"Okay, since you're currently unable to use a voice interface with Jarvis, I've set this up; it functions sort of like a touch panel, even though there's nothing there to actually touch. Jarvis has a bunch of extra sensors in the room so he can track your position relative to the panel, and determine if you've touched a button. He should be able to adjust the size, position and orientation of the panel so that almost any form you take can work with it. All you have to do is..."

Loki leapt forward, batting with one paw at the floating display, hitting one of the buttons, then when that opened an additional menu of buttons, began rapidly batting at those too. Music started playing, loud rock that Tony only had time to recognize as something from one of his own playlists before it changed in rapid succession to a pop song, some big band jazz, a techno piece, and then settled on something being sung in something that definitely wasn't English. Loki settled back down, sitting there with a smug look on his furry face.

"Wow. Okay, adapts quickly to new technology," Tony said, eyeing him. "And I suppose that answers the question of whether or not you can read the menus for yourself. There's also movies and some games you can play. Jarvis, what the hell are we listening to?"

" _Bj_ _ö_ _rk, sir._ "

"Right. Anyway, I'll see about giving you internet access in a day or two, for now this should be enough to start you off with. Your room access is now the common room, kitchen, hallways, hall bathroom, and this room. Understand?"

Loki made a sneezing noise, then rose to his feet and walked back over to the futon mattress, settling back down with the chew toy.


	10. A Room of His Own

Loki dislikes the room at first; it feels like a prison. Like the room he was kept in on Asgard, the cell buried deep beneath the city, far away from sunlight and filled instead at all hours with a sourceless clear white light that never varies, never gives any sign of what time of day nor season of year it might be above ground. Floor, walls, ceiling, all a smooth unvarying white, save the rare times when one wall turns clear, someone looking in on him; Frigga, most often. Guards. Thor, a handful of times. Odin, once, though the All-Father had left quickly enough after Loki went into a rage over his visit. There was a wide, long block in one corner of the room, serving as bed and chair and table, and a single very small side room, as unvarying white and light-filled as the main room, where lukewarm water flows out of the ceiling for a measured amount of time after pressure against a small panel on the wall, where both water and bodily wastes vanish without sign when they touch the floor.

This room at first seems like an attempt to mimic that cell, but the walls are cream, not white, with texture to them, and sunlight streams in the tall windows that make up one end of the room, sky and clouds and tall buildings visible outside. The floor is golden wood, polished with some wax or oil, the smell of it clear to his feline nose, the texture of it almost silky against the pads of his paws. There is some sort of thick, wadded mattress pushed into a corner by the windows, large enough to accommodate even the form he'd taken the day before.

He is left alone in the room for a time, already missing the greater complexity of the common room and kitchen, until Stark returns, bringing with him noise and mess and things to watch, as the man works and swears and talks to himself and the voice in the walls. Rogers returns eventually as well, and to Loki's startled surprise has brought things for him, or at least for this form he currently occupies; things to amuse an animal, he thinks with some disdain, but finds something to do that this body enjoys, since it is easier to ignore the wants of an animal form when they are being met.

The appearance of the hologram surprises him, both because it is a technology he is unfamiliar with and because, as he moves closer to it and is able to read the labels on the buttons, he realizes that it is an interface into Stark's computers. He cannot contain his delight as he rapidly tests it out, finding some music to play that is reasonably enjoyable, but forces himself to retreat again before investigating it further. He remembers from his previous trips to Midgard that computers are usually attached – _networked_ – to other computers, and the smaller networks joined together into larger and larger ones in a way that wraps like an invisible web around their entire pitiful world, that with the right accesses it is possible to connect to what is close to the sum total of human knowledge via this web. This internet. Barely has the thought formed in his mind when Stark is talking about how he will be given access to it within a few days time.

He is glad he does not have a lengthy tail; it would be lashing right now, and giving away far too much of his mental state. He forces himself to remain where he is, chewing on the bone-like thing shaped of dried hide, until they leave, and waits some time beyond their exit before finally rising and going to investigate the interface further. It is at the moment very limited, he finds – access to music, to movies, to a few simple games that the computer projects within the space of the room. He finds one this body likes, stalking false prey through equally false environments, and retreats enough inside his head to leave the body's instincts to deal with the game while his own higher mind considers what to do with access to the internet once he is given it.

* * *

"No, see, this is brilliant," Tony explained to Bruce as they worked together in the lab. "Jarvis can monitor his internet usage, and limit it to incoming only, so he can't use it to contact anyone – assuming there even _is_ anyone he'd want to contact – and from that we can see what interests him, maybe get a better idea about just what is going on inside his head. And if he does decide that he's willing to try communicating with us, we've already got an interface set up that he can work with."

"Interesting idea," Bruce agreed. "Though I have to admit the idea of giving Loki access to the internet is something I feel at least a few qualms about."

"Yeah, me too, but I trust Jarvis to watch over him," Tony admitted.

" _Your trust overwhelms me, sir,_ " Jarvis said dryly.

"What's our Loki-kitty up to right now, Jarvis?" Tony asked, not looking up from where his hands were busily involved in arranging elements of another interface hologram to add on to Loki's current program.

" _Resting, si_ r," Jarvis said, and called up a hologram showing Loki stretched out on a tree branch jutting from one wall of his room, one of a number of things that Bruce had obtained via a landscaping supply company to provide natural perches and scratching posts of various size in the room. Steve is visible at one side of the picture, sitting with his back against the wall, a sketchpad braced against raised knees, as he makes drawings of Loki's latest form.

"Man, how do cats do that? For a human, lying all draped over a branch like that would be hella uncomfortable, and yet he looks as comfortable there as he did on the mattress," Tony complained.

Bruce grinned. "Cats are like that," he said, then looked questioningly at Tony. "Did you ever have one as a pet?"

"No, no pets for me," Tony answered, sounding distracted by what he was working on, then looked at Bruce and smiled crookedly, hands stilling for a moment. "Howard didn't like them, and mother always claimed to be allergic to fur and feathers, unless of course it was part of something she could _wear_ , which she never had problems with. So no pets growing up, and once I was out on my own... well, I'm not good with pets."

Bruce's eyebrows rose slightly. "Not even something like a goldfish?"

"Nope, no pets at all. Lokitty over there is the closest I've ever had to an actual pet, and I don't think he counts," Tony said, gesturing vaguely at the hologram. "Unless I can count Dummy, You, and Butterfingers as pets."

Bruce grinned. "Yeah, no, I don't think Loki counts either," he agreed. "The robots... maybe."

"What about you? Pets?" Tony asked curiously.

"Yeah, a lot of them. I had a puppy for a month or two when I was a kid, before my dad changed his mind and got rid of it. Mice, snakes, goldfish, betta fish, a hamster. A couple lab mice I kind of adopted for a while, at least until the other guy showed up and I had to leave them behind. After that... a few stray dogs and cats. A fox."

"A fox? Seriously?"

Bruce smiled. "It used to come by my cabin in BC every evening in search of scraps. An outdoor pet, not a house pet, though I know some people keep them as house pets."

"Really? Foxes as pets?"

"Yeah. They're nice, if you don't mind hyper."

Tony laughed. "I think I supply more than enough hyper all by myself, thanks."

Bruce smiled, then turned his attention back to the hologram, where Loki was rubbing his head against the branch, eyes slitted in pleasure. "I wonder if what forms he takes has any relation to his mental state."

"Might be. Though so far I think most of them have been chosen with the intent of freaking us out, assuming he does have some control over them. That sabre-toothed cat yesterday... that was something."

"It was," Bruce agreed. "We'll have to see, I suppose."

* * *

He likes having a room of his own; he likes having the freedom of more than just the one room, which makes his incarceration here feel less prison-like. Still, he spends the first day in his own space, leaving it only to eat and drink and use the washroom, glad he is spared the indignity of a litter box, even if perching on the seat leaves something to be desired in terms of arrangements. He stays up all night and most of the next day, exploring the interface he has been given, trying out some of the toys that have been provided, allowing his body the exercise it has been largely denied for so many days. It is late the second day before he decides he had best rest, that the animal form's instincts are becoming too strong, and drags his blanket onto the mattress, curling up and watching the night sky over the city until he finally falls asleep.

He is a very large snake the next day, which Banner is tense around and the woman, Natasha, avoids, but the rest take in their stride, Rogers again coming in to sketch him, even smoothing a hand wonderingly along his scaled skin when he draws close to the man. He hastily retreats after that, choosing to drape himself over one of the larger tree branches available to him, and spends most of the day just lying still. Clearly his ability to take potentially frightening forms has already lost its impact.

This puts him in a sour mood, so he drops to the floor and sleeps again, waking as an unwieldy form; a river animal, a pygmy hippopotamus. To his annoyance they take that in stride too, having obtained water plants for his breakfast within the hour, and a wading pool for him to splash around in. He does not like the water; it is not natural water, tasting of mud and water plants and fish, but the same tainted water they drink out of taps. It stings his eyes; unable to get in and out of the pool on his own, he must endure it until Rogers finally returns to lift him back out. He realizes that while this shape may be inconvenient to them, it is even worse for him, clumsy and thick-limbed and bad-tempered, and unable to easily use the interface. He decides to avoid such forms in future, knowing that this water would be lethal to many amphibian, reptilian, or piscine forms he might otherwise consider taking, and that some of them would die all too easily from water's lack if there is not an Avenger on hand to care for him when the change occurs.

He takes a simpler form the next day, a small black bear, and for most of the day stays on the mattress in his corner, moving only to eat and excrete. Stark comes in to make changes to the interface, telling him that he has limited internet access now. The bear's paws are reasonably agile, but its eyes are poorly suited to working with the interface, and he finds trying to use it for long gives him a headache. He quickly finds himself in a sour mood again, despite having looked forward to having this access for days. He wanders out to the common room, finds talk and laughter and the sounds of a movie playing coming from the entertainment room again. He sulks near the doorway, snuffling at the smells of food wafting from the room, wishing his eyes could see better, to make out what they are watching. He is in an even worse mood when he retires again to his room, and spends some time shredding apart his blanket before curling up among its remnants to sleep.

Despite his desire to use the interface, he finds himself again thinking only of what shape might be the most inconvenient for his captors, without endangering himself or them. Something large, he thinks. Large but essentially harmless; something they can't easily ignore.


	11. Pleasant Attention

Tony had thought he was getting used to Loki's shape changes, but hearing Clint cackling his head off and then entering the kitchen to find the archer perched on the breakfast bar, feeding apples to a Clydesdale horse that was taking up most of the floor space, taught him that maybe he wasn't as used to it as he'd thought.

"Holy shit," is all he could say at first, the huge draft horse somehow more intimidating than even the sabre-tooth had been, because horses are at least something familiar; he even owns a few, the same way he owns race cars and racing yachts and a few other sporty investments, few of which he's ever even been anywhere near except for a time or two when he's wanted to impress some member of the sporty set. The sabre-toothed kitty hadn't seemed any more real to him than the CGI monsters in movies usually did, but this horse is unmistakeably real, right down to the smell of it, and he has never in his life been this close to an animal this big, its shoulder well above his head height, likely even taller than Steve's head would be. "That's a lot of horse," he finally managed to say.

"Yeah," Clint agreed, and to Tony's surprise reached out to run a hand affectionately down the white streak on Loki's face. "We're going to need some hay for feed and bedding, though we have enough things like apples, carrots, and oatmeal on hand to get by for now for food," Clint said. "Curry combs and stuff too... there's a saddlery shop down on East 24th where I can get most what we need to care for her properly."

"Don't you mean him?"

Clint laughed again, almost falling over. "Look again... he's a mare. That makes him a her."

Tony stared briefly at the appropriate area, and had to agree, there were no dangly bits in evidence. A mare. Why on earth was Loki a she instead of a he, and how was that even possible... God, he needed a coffee, but the way Loki was wedged into the kitchen, there was no way to even get close to the coffee maker. "So you know how to care for horses?" he finally asked, feeling like his brain was only working at about half speed.

"Yeah... we had some at the circus, for pulling around animal cages inside the big top as part of the act. I even used to sometimes do a sharpshooter act where I shot targets while standing on horseback. Moving horseback, that is. Anyway, I'll go pick up what we need; you finish feeding her."

Steve came into the kitchen just then; his reaction was to stop and stare, after which he grinned almost as widely as Clint. Apparently he liked horses too. The two men soon left, Clint to go to the saddlery store, and Steve to hunt down some hay. Tony found himself relegated to sitting there feeding carrots to the horse, unable to get at the coffee maker, and grouchy as a result.

Bruce came in after a while, and also did the stop and stare thing, then started laughing, and pulled out his cell phone to take a picture. Tony glared at him, aware of how ridiculous this looked, him sitting at the breakfast bar in sweat pants and an undershirt, still unshaven, and feeding carrots to a behemoth of a horse.

"I think I'll go use the kettle in the lab," Bruce said, and smiled at Tony. "Want me to bring you back some coffee?"

Tony instantly forgave him for laughing, and provisionally for the photo-taking. "Bless you, my child," he said. "Coffee would be greatly appreciated. Let me know what new toy you want for your lab."

"Tony, you don't have to buy me something just because I'm getting you coffee."

"I know, but I want to anyway. Please? Let me buy you stuff, you know I like buying you stuff."

Bruce laughed and shook his head. "All right, I'm sure there's something I could use. I'll get back to you on that, okay?"

"Okay," Tony agreed, and separated another carrot out of the bundle to offer to Loki, watching warily as the horse crunched his-her-whatever way down the length of it, munching up the entire thing including the greens.

Bruce returned around the time that Tony was running out of carrots, a tea pot in one hand and a carafe of coffee in the other, and joined Tony at the breakfast bar after fetching milk and a couple of mugs for them, access to the fridge thankfully not being blocked by Loki.

"What else can we feed Loki?" Tony asked. "Is celery okay for horses?"

"As far as I know, yes, celery is okay for horses. And lettuce. Some grain would also be acceptable."

"Oh, right, Clint said something about oatmeal... any idea where the hell we keep the oatmeal, Bruce?"

"Bottom left cabinet," Natasha said as she walked into the room, a folded newspaper in hand. She looked up, eyebrows raising slightly at the sight of the Clydesdale, then looked around. "No breakfast? Isn't it Steve's turn to cook?"

"Yeah, he went out in search of hay for our newly equine house guest," Tony told her, as he went poking around in the cabinet in search of the oatmeal. "Do horses eat this raw or cooked?" he asked, perplexed, once he hauled out the big cardboard canister of it.

"Either, though if you cook it you have to let it cool down," Natasha said, finding a mug for herself and then taking a seat at the breakfast bar and pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Easiest to just mix it with some cold water. And maybe a dollop of molasses. Add in some bran too if we have any."

"A dollop? How big is a dollop?" Tony asked as he dumped a bunch of the oats into one of the stainless steel mixing bowls that had become their go-to dishes for feeding Loki.

"Just... a dollop. Like adding cream to your coffee, just a splash of it."

"Right," Tony said dubiously. "And where is the molasses?"

"Top left cabinet by the stove," Natasha said, already spreading out her newspaper. "Honestly Tony, how do you not know where anything at all is kept in your own kitchen?"

"Because you guys do not appreciate my cooking. Except for making the odd snack when I'm up late or have slept in, I never get to cook any more."

"Poor baby," Natasha said with false sympathy, then glanced up from her paper, frowning at Loki. "Get the horse out of the way and I might be willing to make breakfast, since Steve has ducked out on it."

Tony grinned. "On it!" he said happily. He quickly mixed up the oats, water, and molasses, scrunching his nose at the look of it. He'd never been a fan of oatmeal himself, except maybe as cookies. And muffins, oatmeal muffins were all right too, he supposed. This mixture was all lumpy and nasty-looking, but when he carried it over toward Loki, the horse's immediate interest in it was evident by the way his... her... nose snuffled and zeroed in on it.

"Come on, Loki... out of the kitchen. You can eat this in the common room, all right? This way. Nice horsie..."

Loki snorted at that, but followed him anyway, easing out of the kitchen and through the archway into the common room, where Tony set the bowl down on a coffee table, leaving Loki nose-down in the mush and heading back into the kitchen, where Natasha has already risen from her stool and was looking over the contents of the fridge.

"Since my usual scullion seems to be AWOL, you two are standing in for Clint," she told Tony and Bruce, and quickly set Bruce to lining a pair of muffin tins with buttered slices of bread – buttered side out – while Tony grated cheddar and she cut up some ham, while the oven pre-heated. By the time Steve returned, a bale of hay balanced on each shoulder, the muffin tins were just coming out of the oven, toasted bread cups filled with a mix of diced ham, sweet red pepper, green onion, and cheese, with an egg baked over top, lightly sprinkled with freshly grated black pepper and sea salt.

Steve smiled, taking an appreciative deep breath. "That smells amazing, And I was supposed to cook this morning, wasn't I?" he said apologetically.

Natasha smiled warmly at him. "That's okay, you can take my day tomorrow to make up for it."

Steve nodded. "Any requests?"

"French toast," Natasha promptly said.

"I can do that," Steve agreed, then hefted one bale that was starting to slip off his shoulder. "Excuse me while I go put these down."

Natasha smiled and nodded, and went back to carefully removing the breakfast cups from the tins and arranging them on a serving platter.

Clint arrived just as the rest of the team was sitting down to their delayed breakfast, a large plastic shopping bag in hand.

"Find what you were after?" Tony asked as he poured himself a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

"Yup. I'll give Loki a good brushing after breakfast. Not that she's badly in need of one, but she could look better."

"She?" Natasha and Bruce both said, startled.

"Mare," Tony pointed out before taking a big bite of his first breakfast cup, then gave them an overly innocent look. "You mean you didn't you notice?"

* * *

Loki is pleased at first to have disrupted their morning routine, and Stark's shock over her transformation from he to she pleases her even further. What a fool the mortal was, to think that someone who could change their very form could not change the sex of the form they occupied. Especially when there were so many creatures of Midgard who did not adhere to a simple gender binary, mixing up traits that these humans tended to think of as solely 'male' or 'female' in type.

She is at first wary when Barton approaches her; he has usually kept his distance, apart from when feeding her this morning, but she remembers how at ease he seemed with her latest form, and refrains from kicking or nipping at him, though she keeps an eye on him as he removes brushes and combs from the bag he carries, slipping a hand through the loop on the back of one brush before moving even closer.

"Good girl," he says softly, and then begins to curry her. For a moment she stands stock-still, surprised by it, and then shivers her skin with pleasure at the feeling of the brush running over her hide. She has only rarely allowed others to handle her in any form; apart from Rogers lifting her in and out of the wading pool, and Banner briefly touching her face the other day, she cannot remember the last time she was touched without malice or anger behind the action. No, wait; she can. Her mother's hug, in those last days on Asgard before her fall into the void. She was already locked in her cell before Frigga saw her again after Thor dragged her back there, and the All-Father would not allow mother the use of the key to enter it. She remembers how angry mother had been over that, pale-faced and thin-lipped, and finds herself aching for the hug that mother had been unable to give her.

The brush strokes pleasantly over her skin, Barton muttering softly to himself, to her, as he grooms her. The animal form likes this attention, and Loki allows herself to sink back, to still her racing thoughts and just allow her form to enjoy it. It is restful, and her head lowers, eyes shutting in pleasure.

Barton takes his time, giving her coat a thorough brushing, before switching to a comb and spending time untangling and combing out her mane and tail, finishing by rubbing oil into her hooves with a soft cloth. She likes this, she decides, this being groomed and cared for. It reminds her of being a young prince in Asgard, when she and Thor were still equally well-loved by their people, and everyone pampered them and made much of both of them. She ignores the way her mood wants to sour, remembering how that changed as they grew, as she stayed lean and lithe and learned the magics that were traditionally a woman's study rather then becoming a meaty muscle-bound oaf of a warrior like her brother, as Thor grew in fame and she became seen as only his dark shadow, lesser than he.

She forces such thoughts away, preferring to just enjoy this moment, and is surprised to realize that she _is_ enjoying it, fear and anger temporarily suppressed, mind currently at rest.

"Good girl," Clint eventually says again, softly, one hand resting on her shoulder, and she turns her head to look at him, then closes her teeth – carefully! – on the material of his shirt and jerks her head to the side enough to tear it.

Natasha has witnessed this, sitting on the couch nearby, and laughs. "Careful, Barton – just because he's a horse doesn't make him any less Loki."

"So I see," Barton says, ruefully fingering the tear in his shirt. "That wasn't very nice."

Loki snorts, then catches sight of the brush and comb sitting on the table nearby, and feels... something that might be regret, for just a moment, that she has repaid his gentle hands with damage to his apparel. She blows out air and drops her head, then noses at his stomach. He stands very still, hands kept well away from her, and she snorts and noses him harder, so that he has to take a quick step or two backwards to prevent himself from being knocked over. He laughs, startled, and she decides it is time to retreat to her own room for a while.

She drinks some water and chews slowly on some hay while thinking. She feels confused. They have not ignored this form, which is what she had intended, but the attention they have paid to it is not what she expected. It bothers her, more than a little, realizing that no matter how threatening or inconvenient a form she has taken, they have worked to see that she is reasonably comfortable and well-fed, even delaying their own meals to seek out appropriate food for her first.

She wants to believe that it is merely because of Thor, that they wish his favour and therefor treat her well, and yet she finds it difficult to believe; surely that is too simplistic an explanation. And yet they have no reason to treat her well; she is their enemy. She has tried to kill them, in the past, and were her powers freed now she does not think she would hesitate to do them harm and escape.

Would she?


	12. Daily Strangeness Quotient

Tony tossed the soldering iron down on the workbench, frowning at the mess of wires spilling out of the guts of the old computer. The one major problem with having robots that he'd built over twenty years previously was maintaining them; their tech was old, and finding spare bits and pieces to keep them running was increasingly becoming a case of buying elderly junked electronics and pulling them apart to salvage components.

Maybe it was time to rebuild them. Or at least the oldest of them, Dummy, though he was more than a little bit afraid that a new casing and system for Dummy would lose Dummy's current eccentricities, the flaws in his system and code that made Dummy _Dummy_. Not a change he wanted to contemplate; not when Dummy was his second-oldest still-living friend, beaten only by Rhodey. Okay, so technically Dummy wasn't actually _living_ , but still-extant friend didn't sound as good in his head. And besides, as far he was concerned, his AIs were just as alive as the meat-bags that filled in most of the planet's population. Maybe even more so, once you started counting in the animal species. Dummy was at least as intelligent as a cat, and certainly more-so than a canary.

And if there was ever a sign it was past time for him to go fall over and sleep for a while, that was probably it, he admitted to himself, and stepped away from the workbench. He eyed the ratty old sofa in one corner of the lab for a moment, then decided he really preferred a better bed tonight, and headed off to the elevators. "Light, Jarvis," he called out as he closed the door.

" _Of course, sir,_ " Jarvis replied, and darkened the lab, while opening the door to the waiting elevator. " _Bedroom level?_ "

"Kitchen first," Tony said, scratching through his tshirt at the raised scar tissue around his arc reactor. "I should eat. Did I eat supper?"

" _No, sir, you did not._ "

"No wonder I'm so hungry. Definitely kitchen," he said, and leaned back against the wall for the short trip up.

The common level was mostly dark, save for the faint glow of LED lights in the entertainment room and kitchen. He almost missed seeing the horse standing in the middle of the darkened common room, until it moved and the paler mane and streak on its face stood out against the darker bulk of its body. He froze for a moment, gasping, then laughed softly. "Trying to give me a heart attack, Dobbin? Very not nice," he scolded, then continued on to the kitchen. He heard the sound of hooves following him, and therefore wasn't surprised when Loki stuck her keg-sized head into the kitchen to watch him as he rooted around in the fridge for leftovers to eat. He noticed someone had restocked on carrots in a big way, and pulled out a couple for her, setting them down on the end of the counter closest to her before sticking a bowl of leftover chicken stew into the microwave to heat for himself.

He leaned against the counter, watching while Loki crunched up the offered carrots, then forced himself to step closer, slowly reaching out one hand. Loki stilled, then lifted her head and stared at his hand and snorted, just once, before pulling back her head fractionally.

Tony folded his arms and smiled crookedly. "You know, this shape-changing thing you can do – this has got to be about the coolest thing _ever_. If I could choose to have only one magic power, it would probably be that. Or maybe mind-reading, that might be pretty cool too, except then I'd know exactly how many people disliked or hated me or even merely tolerated me instead of just having a rough guesstimate. So, yeah, shape-shifting... super-cool, Loki." Thankfully the microwave dinged before he could babble any further, and he hurriedly turned away.

He grabbed the bowl and a soup spoon, and didn't even bother to take a seat, just stood in the middle of the kitchen shovelling the chicken stew into his mouth, all but inhaling it in his hunger. Once he was finished eating, he took the time to rinse both bowl and spoon and toss them into the dishwasher instead of leaving them in the sink, Natasha and Steve having made it abundantly clear that they had Opinions on dirty dishes being left sitting around. He was, he'd been informed, allowed to have all the mould-colony-generating half-empty mugs and bowls full of drying crud in his own lab and the workshop off the garage as he wished; he was not allowed to litter their shared living area with same. He'd tried to fight it, on the basis of the tower technically being _his_ , but Pepper, on one of her infrequent visits from the west coast, had come in on Steve and Natasha's side and that had put an end to that.

Loki was still standing there watching him. He walked closer, lifting up one hand again. Loki stayed completely still this time, until his hand touched the velvety-soft skin of her nose, then moved suddenly, huge blunt teeth closing around his hand just firmly enough to indicate that Loki could easily crush it, but not hard enough to actually hurt. Tony froze, both of them standing still as stone until Loki finally released his hand. Tony released a breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding. "Damn but do you ever blow hot and cold," he said. "Clint grooming you all over is fine, but my touching your nose is not?"

Loki made a snorting sound, then took a step forward, and lowered her head, ears swivelling back and forth. Tony wasn't sure what to do, then hesitantly reached out again, this time avoiding the nose and letting his fingers come to rest higher up, around what would be the forehead on a human, between and above the eyes. It was called something else on a horse, he knew, but couldn't remember what. Loki remained still, then lifted and dropped her head just the tiniest bit, so his fingertips rubbed back and forth across the hide there.

"Are you saying it's all right for me to scratch your head?" he asked, unable to keep a little amazement out of his voice.

Another snort, ears swivelling again, before laying back just slightly, one massive fore-hoof tilting so that only its leading edge was still resting on the ground. Tony decided that was possibly a slightly hostile yes, and tentatively rubbed with his fingertips. Loki remained silent, but leaned just the tiniest bit into the touch. He gradually let his fingers rub a bit more firmly, working his way up toward the leading edge of the mane, between Loki's ears. After a moment the lifted hoof slowly lowered flat to the floor again, ears relaxing back to their normal upright position.

This had to rank among the top ten weirdest things he'd ever done, maybe even the top three, Tony decided. Which was saying a lot, given some of the incredibly stupid and/or weird things he could recall doing in his life. Mind you anything having to do with weird interactions with the Aesir might deserve an entire top ten list of their own, entirely separate from mere mortal weirdness, which said a lot more given that things like his arc reactor and the Iron Man suits were on his mortal weirdness list.

And that thought was maybe another sign that it was well past time for him to go to bed. He ended the scratching, stepping carefully out of range of those big teeth. "Night, Loki... I think I've surpassed my daily strangeness quotient and then some," he said, and headed off to his own level and bed.

* * *

"Another horse?" Tony said, looking at the black-coated horse occupying a sizable chunk of the common room.

"Yeah," Clint agreed, not even glancing up from grooming Loki. "An Arabian, I think. Stallion, before you ask."

"Right," Tony said, and circled around the horse, looking him over. Loki was a lot smaller now, with an almost fragile look to him, due mostly to long slender legs and a deeply-dished face. He looked around as Tony passed him, then returned to munching the contents of a large bowl in front of him; a mix of something grass-like, grain, and chopped fruits and vegetables, it looked like.

Tony continued on to the kitchen, where he was pleased to find the coffee maker just finishing off brewing a fresh pot of coffee. Steve was standing at the stove, making French toast, and judging by the evidence of near-empty bowls of whipped cream, chocolate sauce, raspberries, blueberries, and sliced strawberries and peaches, almost everyone else had already eaten, and in quantity. Natasha was seated at the breakfast bar still, working her way through a serving that looked to be more toppings than toast.

"Morning Cap, 'Tasha," Tony said, as he poured himself a mug of coffee. "You know, breakfasts like this make me think that inviting all of you to move into the tower was one of my best ideas ever."

"One of Pepper's best ideas, you mean," Natasha said, as she carefully cut off another forkful of French toast.

"Nope, I had the idea, she just implemented it," Tony insisted. "Though she is the best implementer ever. And the best CEO ever. And my best friend ever, which reminds me, Jarvis, isn't she about due for another visit?"

" _Yes sir, Ms Potts and guest are due to arrive the day after tomorrow._ "

"And guest?" Steve said, sounding surprised, as he looked up from sliding some freshly cooked slices of French toast onto a plate, which he held out to Tony.

"Yeah, she's bringing her new boyfriend along," Tony answered, accepting the plate and managing to keep his voice light with an effort of will, and ignoring the way Steve and Natasha glanced at each other, then him. Yes, it hurt that Pepper had finally moved on from their failed attempts at having a relationship, but, dammit... She was his best friend in the history of ever. He wanted her to be happy. As long as this new guy made her happy, then Tony was fine with that. He would not act like a spoiled child and do anything to hurt Pepper, not even give Mr New Guy the shovel talk. Though not giving the talk didn't mean he wouldn't come down with the full weight of his displeasure if said new guy ever did anything to hurt Pep.

He fixed up his French toast – just a drizzle of maple syrup, he wasn't in the mood for fiddling around with fancier toppings – and ate a few bites, attention focused on his plate. "I'd say we should do a nice party for her or something, but Pepper has always been the one that arranged those for me," he said after a while. "And I don't think asking her to arrange her own welcoming party would be right. Besides, if I did, she'd feel like she had to make it a big party, because I always throw big parties, and I don't think she actually likes big parties all that much..."

Natasha reached over and squeezed his arm as he trailed off. "Don't worry, Tony," she said. "Tell you what... we can do a nice casual lunch party, all of us together; it'll give us an excuse to use the dining room for once. And then you can take her and her beau out somewhere nice for dinner."

Tony looked up. "Really? You think she'd like that?" He couldn't keep the hopefulness out of his voice. Natasha _knew_ Pepper, more closely than any other of the Avengers save himself; they'd become friends when she was working undercover at Stark Industries way back when, and had remained friends ever since. He could trust her judgement, he was certain. He frowned suddenly. "I'd feel like a third wheel if it was just her and me and the new guy. Or worse, I'd make the new guy feel like a third wheel. Should I bring a date maybe?"

Natasha smiled. "Bring a date, sure. But _don't_ hire an escort, all right?"

"You should ask a female friend along," Steve suggested, nodding agreement as he took a seat with his own oversized plate full of breakfast.

"I don't have many of those. Or would you like to come, Natasha?"

Natasha shrugged. "If you can't find someone else, sure, though Pepper and I already have a girl's night out of our own planned for while she's here. But you have more female friends than just me. Maria, Jane, Darcy..."

"Okay, I will admit that I do get along reasonably well with Agent Hill, but we're not even on a first-name basis yet, and I don't think we're anywhere near inviting-her-out-to-dinner-with-my-ex levels of friendship. I doubt Thor would be happy with me if I invited Jane to dinner unless it involved the entire group of us, though... Darcy. Yeah, Darcy might be fun. Girl's got a wicked sense of humour."

"And she's a fast draw with her taser," Natasha said approvingly. "Which should stop you from making an ass of yourself even if you do drink too much."

"Hey! I wouldn't do that to Darcy! She's... she's like the spunky kid sister I never had and never knew I wanted or needed until after I met her, all right? I'll call her," he said, and pushed away his empty plate, fumbling for his phone only to realize he was still in pyjama pants and it was still somewhere in his bedroom. "Later, you two – thanks for the excellent breakfast, Steve," he said, snagged the bowl of leftover peach slices, and hurried off.

* * *

Loki ghosts through the apartment, at least those parts of it accessible to him. He is still enjoying being a horse, even if it is only slightly better than the bear at using the interface. He has surprisingly good vision, able to see almost all the way around himself, but is reduced to nosing at oversized buttons in a greatly expanded panel since this form has low dexterity. Reading for any length of time makes his eyes and head hurt, but he has enjoyed his initial forays into the use of the internet, and can foresee spending much time exploring it.

He is surprised to hear sound from the common room this late at night, and enters it to find Stark sitting at the bar, drinking and singing softly to himself. Stark turns at the sound of his approach, and grins cheerfully at him.

"Mr Ed!" Stark exclaims, voice a little slurred, and then grins. "Come to join me in a drink?"

Loki snorts; he does not much care for alcoholic beverages at the best of times, and while there might be one or two that this form would not find noxious in taste, he has no desire to seek them out. He comes to a stop, simply looking at Stark, finding it hard for a moment to believe that this is the man who was such a keystone of the effort that defeated Loki's invasion plans.

"Probably not good for you, anyway," Stark says, and knocks back what is left in his glass, then sits and frowns at it for a moment. "Not good for me either. Or so I am told. Repeatedly." He falls silent for a while, seeming to have forgotten Loki's presence, then puts down his glass and rises to his feet. "I should get to bed," he says.

Loki watches as Stark moves a few steps away, then turns around and walks back, picks up the empty glass and the half-empty bottle, and pours himself another drink, his hands surprisingly steady. "Just one more," Stark says, clearly enunciating carefully. "Don't drink much any more. Pepper never liked it. An I'm not supposed to now that I'mma Avenger. No drunk flying allowed."

Stark walks over to the couch and lays down on it, drink held carelessly in one hand, and studies the liquid within the glass. Loki moves a few steps closer after a while, wondering what fascinates the man so, then snorts at the unpleasant smell of the alcohol.

"I know my limit," Stark says, sounding tired now, and then stretches to the side, putting the untouched drink down on the coffee table. He points his finger at it afterwards, scowling. "Not drinking you. Had enough," he says, then cranes his head around to look at Loki. "Can I scratch your head again?" he asks, sounding almost wistful, and lifts one hand up into the air.

Loki stares at him, then hesitantly steps forward, lowering his head, keeping one eye turned warily on the human as fingers come to rest on his cheek, scratching erratically but pleasantly against his cheek and jaw. He lowers and turns his head slightly after a while, to bring Stark's fingers to a spot where the scratching feels particularly pleasant.

"It's too bad you keep taking such big or weird forms," Stark says after a while, hand dropping away. Stark yawns, and rolls over, curling up on the couch. "Could take you outside maybe, if you were something that would fit on the elevator. And wouldn't scare the neighbours." Stark yawns again. He is silent after that, until he begins snoring.

Loki stands and considers Stark's words for some time before returning to his own room.


	13. A Rambling Walk

The sound of Natasha exclaiming loudly in Russian had Tony scrambling to sit up even before he was fully awake. He realized he was not in his own bed only just in time to prevent himself from rolling right off the side of the couch, and looked around to see what had Natasha so upset.

The first thing he noticed was that the expression on her face was more one of surprise than anything that might be characterized as anger, worry or fear. He turned to look at what she was staring at, and found his own jaw dropping just a little bit. A dog was lying on the floor nearby, long-nosed head lifted to look back and forth between both of them. Stretched out, it was almost as long as the oversized couch, with long slender legs and a narrow body with the deep chest and tucked-in waist that he associated with fast runners like greyhounds. Unlike a greyhound, however, it was covered in a froth of long wavy black hair. As he watched, it pushed itself upright into a sitting position, long feathery tail wrapping around its paws. Standing, it would come at least hip-high on most of the Avengers.

"I should know what breed that it," Tony said, perplexed. "I've seen that somewhere before."

Natasha laughed, and walked further into the room. "Possibly in your mother's collection of Art Nouveau sculptures and prints," she said. "He's a Borzoi."

"A Bor-what?"

"A Borzoi, sometimes called a Russian wolfhound... they showed up a lot in Art Nouveau pieces, because of their elegant curves," she said, and then to Tony's surprise went down on one knee to take a closer look at Loki. Loki, for his part, remained very still, watching her with the same wary expression that Tony had seen on his assorted faces a number of times now.

Natasha said something softly in Russian, then slowly reached out. Loki stiffened, head turning quickly to watch her approaching hand. Natasha froze, and waited. Loki turned his attention back to her face, then slowly relaxed again, head dipping just slightly. Natasha moved again, hand moving out to stroke at the fur of his neck and back. "Beautiful," she said after a moment, then looked over her shoulder at Tony. "They were the dogs of the Russian aristocracy, once," she said. "And sometimes a much-prized gift from the Russian royal family to nobility in other countries. Many of them were killed during the revolution; too much of a symbol of wealth and power, you see. But some survived, and people outside of Russia kept the breed going as well."

She turned her attention back to Loki, and smiled again, a warmer smile than Tony was used to seeing on her face. She rose to her feet again, and Loki stood up as well, glancing once at Tony before turning and leading the way to the kitchen, Natasha following along behind.

Tony rose as well, grimacing at how sore and unwashed he felt after a night on the couch, and decided to duck downstairs to his floor to shower and change before returning to help with breakfast; it was Bruce's day for it, which made Tony the designated scullion. He took a very fast shower and changed into clean clothes, then returned back upstairs. Natasha had fed Loki, who was busy licking his bowl clean, and run the coffee maker, and was busy on her phone, Clint slouched down on the stool beside her, looking half-asleep despite the nearly empty coffee mug propped up in both hands.

Bruce was poking around in the fridge already, and peered over his shoulder at Tony. "I was thinking scones and smoothies," he said.

"Sounds good to me," Tony agreed. Bruce's vegetarian diet meant the breakfasts he made tended to be heavy on fruits, vegetables, nuts and grain, with only occasional use of milk and eggs. Bruce soon had Tony preparing fruit and vegetables to go into the blender, while Bruce mixed together the scone dough, adding nuts and dried fruit to it for extra flavour. Bruce soon had a couple trays of scones baking in the oven.

Tony set up the blenders – they had three – along the counter, and Bruce worked his way along the row, adding yogurt, juice, whey powder and different assortments of vegetables and berries to each, as well as some wheatgrass to one, and honey to another. The kitchen was soon filled with the roar of the blenders working, turning the mix of ingredients into three different flavours of smoothies.

Tony was amused at the way Loki jumped and looked around when they turned the first blender on. The dog stared at the machines, his ears going back, then turned and left the kitchen, back slightly hunched.

The scones, still warm from the oven, and the fruity smoothies made a nice breakfast, though Tony did find himself thinking a little wistfully about how long it had been since he'd last had a nice big unhealthy (and greasy) breakfast of fried everything. Steve would on occasion – when Bruce was away, mainly – make things like bacon, sausages, eggs and so forth, but usually the closest they had to a fried breakfast was pancakes or French toast, neither of which were quite what Tony himself would consider fried. Delicious, yes, but not _fried_.

They had an impromptu team meeting during the meal, discussing plans for lunch the next day. Natasha volunteered to see to the food if the rest of the team would see to cleaning the place up. Tony had gotten an enthusiastic yes from Darcy as his guest for dinner the next evening, and had laughed when the second thing she'd pointed out was that she'd need a killer dress and shoes for it, knowing the sort of places he liked to dine out. He'd sent over his driver with a company card and car, and instructions to see that Darcy had fun shopping. Knowing Darcy, he wouldn't be surprised to find a few extra purchases on the card, more than just the stated dress and shoes, but even if she went on a crazed day-long shopping spree she'd have a hard time putting a dent in even just his daily earnings, so he wasn't overly worried about it.

"So who wants to walk the dog?" Tony asked once the meal and meeting were both over.

"I have dibs," Natasha announced. "I already called a pet store for necessary supplies; the collar and leash should be delivered shortly."

"You're going to attempt to put an actual leash on Loki?" Clint said, giving her a dubious look.

"I don't think he'll be very happy about that," Steve pointed out, Bruce and Tony nodding agreement.

Natasha shrugged. "He can like it, or stay here... New York has strict leash laws, if he's going to go out he needs to be on one, no more than six feet in length."

"Yeah, well, good luck with that," Tony said dubiously.

They all found reason to be in or near the common room after Natasha's package arrived later that morning; not just a collar and leash, but grooming supplies as well, more combs and brushes to join those they already had on hand from Loki' time as a horse. As soon as Loki saw the leash he rose and backed up, back hunching almost like a cat's with the level of his distaste. Natasha sat down on one of the chairs with the collar and leash in her lap and talked at him for a couple of minutes, in Russian, then held up the collar again.

It was a rather nice collar, a wide strip of dark green leather with polished brass fittings, set with a row of small rhinestones spaced every inch along it; pretty, but not overly gaudy. The leash was the same green leather and brass, though without rhinestones. After a few minutes of looking fixedly away while Natasha talked, Loki looked back over to her, then slowly relaxed again, before finally sidling closer to her. He sniffed over the collar, then looked away again. He tensed a little but remained still as she fastened the collar around his neck, leaving it a little on the loose side and carefully smoothing his fur down around it, before finally snapping the leash on and rising to her feet.

"Well?" Natasha said, raising an eyebrow at Tony where he was leaning in the kitchen doorway, a mug of coffee in hand.

"Wouldn't have believed it could be done if I hadn't just seen it," Tony said. "Fine. Loki... you can go out with Natasha for a while. Stay close to her; within leash distance, unless she lets you off and says you can run around for a bit. You're to return to heel if she calls you. Don't keep him out too late, Natasha."

"We'll be back in a few hours at most," she said, then looked down at Loki, who was staring at Tony with one lip raised to show his fangs. "Coming, Loki?"

Loki looked up at her and gave a single slow wave of his tail, then placidly followed along at heel as she strode off to the elevators and left.

"Jarvis, do what you can to keep an eye on Natasha and Loki, please... let me know if he tries anything."

" _Of course, sir._ "

* * *

Loki is pleased to get out of the Avengers' quarters for a while, even if it means having to wear a collar and be kept on a leash. The woman has explained about _leash laws_ and other local ordinances related to pets, and Loki understands that other people will not realize he is more than a dog, and will ignore him as long as he is quiet and clearly with a human. He is pleased with his choice of form, and pleased too with how well he looks with the woman; Natasha has dressed up for their walk, in a charcoal grey jacket and skirt over a lace-edged silky black top, with heavy bracelets and earrings of gold and haematite, and a scarf around her neck almost the same green as his collar. They look like they belong together, a set, and draw many appreciative looks and even a few comments from those they pass.

The city smells, a mix of unpleasant and intriguing odours, and the sidewalks are crowded with too many people, so that he finds himself pressing up against her legs and glancing nervously around, surrounded by too much of everything after the quiet of the tower and the even longer isolation of his cell. She touches his head, soothingly, and soon takes them to quieter side streets, where he is able to calm down somewhat. After a long walk they reach a large park, one that occupies a sizable proportion of the island they are on. It is even quieter there, and smells more of growing things and a mix of wild and tame animals. He finds it much easier to stay calm there.

After a while she finds a bench in a wooded area and sits down. She takes a book out of her hand-bag and opens it, then reads. He sits down by her feet, looking around at the trees, the sunlight dappling the walkway, people walking and jogging past them. There is open water somewhere near, he can smell it, and a squirrel in the tree overhead, scolding some other animal. Eventually he stretches out on the ground, chin resting on her shoes, and just rests for a while.

He is feeling much calmer when she finally puts the book away and rises to her feet again, Loki lurching to his own feet as she does. They resume their walk, and she stops eventually on the edge of the park, buying a meal from a cart, a tube of some meaty substance in a long bread bun. She buys three, putting toppings on one to eat herself, and feeds him the other two plain. They taste better than he expects from their smell.

They walk again, back the way they have come though by a different route, through the park and then back through the city streets. He finds it easier to ignore the noise and bustle now. He is pleased when she removes the collar as soon as they enter the elevator in the tower. The common room is empty, except for Rogers sitting on one of the couches reading a magazine. He looks up as they enter the room, and smiles warmly at Natasha.

"How was your walk?" he asks.

"Good," she says. "We went up to Central Park and back. I sat and read in the Ramble for a while."

Loki stretches out on the floor, near the corner where he lived his first few days here. He is pleasantly tired from the long walk, but not in any real need of sleep.

"Did you have lunch yet?" Rogers asks, sounding hopeful.

Natasha shrugs. "A hot dog."

"Oh," Rogers says, sounding crestfallen.

"I could still eat," Natasha says.

Rogers smiles, and rises to his feet. "I was thinking of making sandwiches."

"Sounds good to me," she says, and the two disappear into the kitchen together. Loki feels no pull to follow her, so decides the spell restrictions holding him near here must have already reset to his usual areas here at the tower. He rests for a while in the common room, listening to the sounds of the two talking and eating, then eventually withdraws to his own room.

Loki lets his form play for a while, while he thinks about what he has seen this morning. This form has surprisingly destructive impulses, further tearing apart the shreds of his original blanket, rooting around in the straw left from his time as a horse, and gnawing apart one of the balls before finally settling down on the mattress with one of the toys that is actually meant for chewing on. The current mess of the room annoys him; he prefers things nice and neat, unless he is in the mood for chaos, and he usually prefers such chaos to be elsewhere than his personal spaces.

After a while he tries out using the interface. Music does not work out well; most of it hurts his ears, or gives him a strong urge to bark and howl. Finally he finds something pleasant, slow and soft, and while it plays he noses all the balls into one corner of the room, corralled in with some of the less mobile toys, then sits down by the interface and reads for a while. It still gives him a headache in this form, but not as bad a one as he had in other forms, and his vision is good, apart from missing some ranges of colour. He takes a break, and does what he can to remove the shredded blanket and wisps of hay that are scattered across his mattress, reads a little more, and then sits by the windows for a while, watching the city outside.

Eventually he tires of the solitude, and returns to the common room again. Banner and Stark are there, Banner typing on a laptop, Stark stretched out on the couch reading the magazine that Rogers was looking at earlier. Loki sneaks quietly over, and sticks his nose against the side of Stark's neck, which makes the man jump and yell and give him a dirty look, much to Loki's amusement.

"Asshole dog," Stark says, sitting up.

Banner looks up and smiles, looking almost as amused as Loki feels. "God of Mischief," he points out.

"True," Stark says, then frowns at Loki.

Loki sidles back closer to him, then rests his head on Stark's knee and rolls his eyes to look up at Stark's face. Stark snorts, but then does what Loki wants anyway, and scratches at his head, as he had done when Loki was a horse. It feels just as good in this form as it did as a horse, and Loki is content to just remain there for a while, letting Stark scratch and pet him. He is aware of the amused looks Banner keeps giving him, but not bothered by them, though after a while he abandons Stark and walks over to rest his head on the arm of the chair where Banner is sitting, and stares at him until Banner laughs and pets him as well.

He is surprised by how pleased the laughter and scratching makes him feel, but only a little; it is the instincts of the form influencing his own moods, he knows, but he is content to allow it for now.

Perhaps he will remain in this form for another day or two before changing again; they are lowering their guard around him, and that can only be beneficial.


	14. Double Date

" _Ms Potts and guest are on their way up, sir._ "

"How do I look, do I look okay?" Tony asked nervously, glancing around at the other three gathered in the common room; Bruce, Clint, and Natasha. Steve was out on his morning run, and had taken Loki along with him.

"You look fine, Tony," Bruce assured him, while Clint looked amused and Natasha had one of her more inscrutable expressions, though she gave him a tiny nod of approval.

Not that he'd dressed up for Pepper's arrival, of course, not in, like, a business suit or anything, just... okay, so he was wearing new custom-fitted jeans and leather shoes instead of sneakers, and an actual nice white shirt that _might_ be raw silk instead of the worn tshirts he usually favoured, but no tie and the top few buttons were undone and he'd made sure to sleep the night before and thoroughly shower this morning and _oh god_ he felt like he was a teenaged kid again, a teenager who hadn't a clue about anything. How did Pepper manage to make him feel like this when she wasn't even in the _room_.

His racing thoughts cut off as the elevator chimed. He took a step forward as Pepper walked out into the lobby, looked around, saw him, then smiled that smile that always made his heart lift and his day feel better, even if they were no longer a thing. He hurried the rest of the way to her after that, hugging her, being careful to keep it informal, air-kisses only, friendly but not _too_ friendly, not when she was with someone else now. Speaking of... he looked around to see this new guy she was with, but the only person in sight was Happy Hogan, standing there looking surprisingly dapper is a much more nicely-fitted outfit than he usually wore, sharply-pressed dark grey slacks and a shirt, not his usual white but a pale blue with a narrow dark blue stripe and matching tie. He'd done something with his hair, a less messy cut, and the incipient paunch he'd been flirting with for the last few years was gone; he looked like he must be working out regularly again, not to mention getting a little more sun.

"Hap! God, being Pepper's Chief of Security clearly agrees with you, you're looking good," Tony said, reaching out to clasp hands, grinning, then turned back to Pepper. "I thought you were bringing a guest? Your new guy?"

Pepper smiled, and blushed just the slightest bit, glancing at Happy before opening her mouth to answer. It was the glance that made the coin drop for Tony. "Oh my god... _Happy!_ Are you Pepper's new guy!? Pepper, are you and Happy... woah. _Woah_ , I did not expect that."

Pepper laughed, and Happy grinned, and Pepper reached out and took Happy's hand, lacing their fingers together, and all Tony could think for a moment was how good the pair of them looked together, and how much silent communication and affection there was in the longer glance the two of them exchanged, a kind of look he and Pepper had only shared maybe a handful of times in all their own time together. It hurt, for just a moment, knowing she'd never look at him that way again. The pair of them were both blushing now, before Pepper turned back to him and answered, speaking carefully. "Yes, Tony, Happy and I are together. This isn't going to be a problem, I hope?"

The slight tone of worry in her voice was like a dash of cold water, and he quickly shook his head. "Not a problem at all. A surprise yes, and... damn, you two crazy kids!" he exclaimed, and spread his arms wide, pulling them both into an enthusiastic hug that made Pepper laugh and Happy squeak. "I'm happy for the both of you, I really am," he said. And he was, he realized. He'd wanted Pepper and him to be right together, but he knew how wrong it had always gone between them, the whole long list in his head of every time he'd messed things up which, he was honest enough with himself these days to admit, was almost every single time and all his own fault. Pepper deserved someone like Happy, someone who'd treat her like the treasure she was, and while it would never stop hurting at least a little bit that he wasn't the right guy for her, he couldn't help feeling glad that two of his favourite people in the entire world had turned out to be right for each other.

After that it was all herding them into the common room, and more greetings. Pepper and Natasha hugged tightly, then drew to one side taking quietly and giggling to each other briefly as Tony introduced Happy to Bruce and Clint. Happy shook Natasha's hand after, grinning widely and telling her he hoped she'd give him a rematch while he was here, and hoping he'd last more than the few seconds he had the last time they'd sparred. The group of them ended up sitting down together in the common room, Happy and Pepper in the middle of the long couch with Natasha by Pepper and Clint by Happy, Bruce and Tony sharing the smaller couch across from them. Trays of little finger-food snacks had appeared from somewhere – Natasha's doing, Tony suspected – and beverages of the non-alcoholic kind, and it was a surprisingly pleasant time, sitting there and talking, Happy and Pepper telling Tony-gets-in-trouble stories and the others laughing and telling some of their own, thankfully not just about Tony or he suspected he'd have started to feel picked on after a while.

Steve came back from his jog about an hour after they'd all settled in, clearly having stopped off on his own floor to shower and change before joining them, his hair still damp and Loki following at heel, the leash already removed, carried folded in Steve's hand. He dropped it on an end table as he hurried across the room to greet Pepper, a wide smile crossing his face as she rose to hug him, the two having become good friends in the year since the attack on New York, regularly IMing back and forth to each other on Skype. Tony suspected there was a certain amount of eye-rolling oh-Tony exchanges between the pair of them, but he didn't mind, Cap had few enough friends as it was without Tony begrudging him another one.

Loki was making the round of the room, getting scratches from people, and once Pepper had sat down again after introducing Happy to Steve as her significant other, Loki walked over and put his head on her knees, clearly begging for attention from her as well.

"Oh my god, I didn't know you guys had a pet... when did this happen? He's gorgeous! What's his name?" Pepper asked, as she let Loki sniff at her hand, and then enthusiastically scratched around his ears and neck with both hands.

"Oh, right," Tony said nervously, and frowned. "Um. He's Loki."

Pepper looked up, eyebrows raising. "You named him after Thor's brother?"

"No, I mean he's actually Loki."

Pepper froze for a moment, then leaned sharply back in her seat, hands flying wide as she recoiled from the dog. "That's _Loki?_ What... what, are you crazy!? _Tony!_ "

Tony flushed, and quickly snapped his fingers. "Loki... heel." The dog gave him what could only be called a dirty look, but walked over and sat down on the floor by his feet, ears laid back. "Look, Thor asked us to look after him; something about the chitauri showing up in Asgard and trying to either liberate or kidnap him from his cell, Thor's explanation wasn't exactly very coherent on that point, and apparently Asgard is now at war with them, and Thor felt Loki would be safer here on earth for whatever reason, so... Loki," Tony said, and held both hands out toward the dog in his best game-show-hostess-presenting-a-prize imitation. Loki yawned widely, showing a rather nastily impressive array of big white teeth. "He's bound with magic to prevent him using his powers for evil, and supposed to be completely safe to have on hand while in animal forms, so, yeah, it's kind of been a zoo here the last few weeks."

Pepper was now giving Tony her patented Tony-I-can't-believe-I'm-hearing-what-you're-sayin g-you- _are_ -crazy look.

"Guys? Help me out here?" Tony asked.

"It's fine, Pepper, it really is," Steve assured her, shooing Clint away and moving to sit down on the edge of the couch beside Happy, who was keeping quiet but sitting up alertly, keeping a watchful eye on Loki. "He can only go where Tony tells him he can, which means that he's pretty much confined to the tower."

"That doesn't make me feel all that much better about this, Steve," Pepper said, still watching Loki with an expression bordering on horror. "Considering what he did around here the last time he was in the tower."

Natasha took her hand, and patted it. "We're all keeping a close eye on him, including Jarvis," she said. "He is never unobserved, and his powers are bound. At least until Asgard is ready to take him back, this is the most secure place he could possibly be kept."

Pepper frowned, then sighed. "Does SHIELD know about this?" she asked.

That led to everyone except her and Happy exchanging looks.

"Um. I don't think any of us have mentioned it to anyone outside of the Avengers, no," Steve finally said.

"And I think overall we'd prefer not involving SHIELD," Tony said.

"I'll second that," Bruce agreed. "Their most likely reaction would be to want him in their own hands, and...," he smiled thinly and shrugged. "You all know I'm not a fan of the way they handle people they'd like to study."

Pepper looked back and forth between Clint and Natasha. "Not even you two?"

Clint shrugged. "Nat and I may have told Coulson, but only after he agreed to not tell Fury anything about it unless it became necessary."

Natasha nodded. "We can trust Coulson. But as far as the rest of SHIELD goes... well, I judged that this is a case where it's easier to ask for forgiveness than request permission. Thor would be very unhappy with us if we turned his brother over to someone else after he very specifically entrusted us with Loki's care and safety, and I'd rather not cause an interplanetary diplomatic incident if it can be avoided."

Loki had made a sound at hearing Thor named as his brother, but otherwise just sat calmly, turning his head around to watch people as they spoke. Pepper sat staring at him again, lips pursed, and he stared back for a moment, then turned his head away, resting it on Tony's knee. Tony's hand slid closer, fingertips scratching gently at the base of his ear, and Loki tilted his head a little, eyes closing, obviously enjoying the attention.

Pepper sighed. "All right. I'm still not very happy about this development, but if all of you think you have it under control, I'm not going to fight it. Just try and give me some warning if this all blows up and you need me on damage control, okay?"

Tony smiled, relieved. "You're the best, Pepper."

"I know," she said dryly, then glanced at Natasha. "Now, I believe there was talk of a group lunch?"

* * *

"Jarvis, how long have you known that Pepper and Happy were together?" Tony asked, as he sorted through his wardrobe, choosing what to wear to dinner.

" _I don't know what you mean, sir._ "

"Oh come on... Ms Potts _and guest_ are on their way up? You know who Happy is and didn't use his name. On purpose, I would assume. Fess up, Jarvis – you _knew._ "

" _Yes, sir, I did know, but Ms Potts had requested that I not reveal such information to you until such time as she had revealed it to you herself. Since you granted her discretionary powers over what details of her life you were to be privy to, I decided that this was a reasonable request and granted it, sir. Did I act wrongly?_ "

Tony frowned for a moment, then sighed. "No, Jarvis, you did exactly right. Keep it up."

" _Of course sir. And might I suggest the silver-grey suit, with a navy shirt and indigo tie and socks._ "

"Ah... let me guess, you know what Darcy bought?"

" _Yes, sir._ "

"Sounds good to me then," Tony said, knowing he could trust Jarvis to make sure he looked well with whatever his date was wearing. He laid out the clothing, then ducked into the bathroom for a quick shower and shave, wanting to look his best for the double-date night. Even if having Darcy there as his date was almost exactly like dating his sister, if he'd had a sister. He smiled, thinking of how much fun it would have been to grow up with Darcy as a kid sister, though she'd have had to be quite a few years older for that to work. Technically he was old enough to be her father, which was a rather depressing thought.

Lunch had gone well, he found himself thinking. He'd temporarily banished Loki to his room, since the god's presence made Pepper uneasy, and then they'd all had a wonderful lunch in the rarely-used dining room, the food a group effort of Natasha, Steve and Bruce, after which he and Pepper had spent some time in her office further down in the tower, handling some of the necessary paperwork related to the company. Happy, meanwhile, got to spend a little time hanging out with the Avengers, including getting in some gym time with Cap and Clint, and a rematch with Natasha afterwards where he'd managed to last almost twenty seconds against her, a new record, though Tony suspected that Natasha had been going easy on him. Pepper and Happy hadn't headed back to their hotel – Pepper having turned down a room in the tower for this trip, he guessed because she'd wanted to be certain how he'd react to the news of her and Happy's relationship – until mid-afternoon.

Which reminded him... "Jarvis, open a channel to Loki's quarters."

" _Yes, sir. Channel open._ "

"Loki, our guests have departed and your usual room permissions are back in effect. Knock yourself out. Close channel, Jarvis."

" _Done, sir._ "

"Great. Is the car ready?"

" _It is still en route from Ms Lewis' apartment but should arrive within the next five minutes, sir._ "

"Excellent timing," Tony said, and headed off to catch the elevator down to ground level.

* * *

"Wow, you look good," Tony told Darcy as he slipped into the back seat with her. "Enjoy your spending spree?"

Darcy smiled warmly at him. "Very much, thank you," she told him. She was wearing a thigh-length top of some silky fabric in indigo, with a pleated cross-over front, belted with a chain of wide flat silver links, dark grey skinny pants that made her legs seem longer than they actually were – she was shorter than Tony himself was – with glossy black high-heeled sandals with silver buckles that he estimated were almost tall enough to make her the same height as him. She also had a beaded silvery-grey purse with a silver chain strap that was a good match for the belt slung over one shoulder, and a chunky silver necklace with matching earrings. "Thanks for inviting me. And for the outfit."

"My pleasure, to both of those. Thanks for agreeing to come on such short notice. So how are things going at work?"

They spent half of the trip to the restaurant talking about her work as Jane and Erik's assistant, no longer in the lab – the pair had actual trained interns for that now – but as their administrative assistant-gofer-nanny-Jill of all trades.

"You're like their Jarvis," he told her. "But with more personality and a physical body."

Darcy laughed. "Knowing how competent and full of personality Jarvis is, I'll take that as a compliment. I feel like I'm their mother half the time, making sure they remember to eat and sleep enough and change their clothes regularly and stuff, for all that they're both older than I am. But the salary isn't bad and with all the international travel they're doing lately to take readings in foreign locations, I'm getting at least a little use out of the political science degree, mostly by making sure they don't get into trouble with local customs and laws and things like that."

"Interesting work."

"Could be worse," Darcy said, and smiled happily. "I enjoy the travel, and the getting to hang out with the Avengers occasionally is a nice bonus too, especially when it leads to shopping sprees. Most of my classmates would probably kill for my job, if they knew what it actually involved."

Tony laughed. "SHIELD still making you keep mum about everything?"

"Yeah. Most everyone I know, including my parents, think I work a 9-to-5 office job, though my parents at least know I travel a lot; supposedly I have a globe-trotting boss who prefers to drag her personal assistant everywhere with her instead of having to rely on strange foreign help, which isn't that far from the truth. Though rather than an absent-minded professor type she's supposed to be more like a female you, I suppose."

Tony laughed again. "Yeah, more like what I used to be, I don't do that any more. Not since I gave my PA the company, anyway."

Darcy grinned. "Let me know if you ever need a new PA, that kind of compensation package sounds pretty sweet."

Tony wrinkled his nose. "Believe me, running a multi-national corporation is not actually all that enjoyable. Pepper thrives on it but that's because it's the sort of work she actually likes, and is kind of amazingly good at. I can't picture you enjoying it. The income, sure, and maybe some of the hob-nobbing, but not the job itself."

"True, I think I'd rather go back to being Jane's underpaid PA in New Mexico than have to spend as much time in business meetings and schmoozing with politicians and so on as I hear Pepper has to do. Okay, so pass on being your PA. How about being your official arm-candy? I wouldn't say no to more shopping sprees; I could totally be your platonic trophy girlfriend who keeps the gold-diggers from throwing themselves at you."

"That might be doable. Consider this your trial placement, Ms Lewis," he said, trying to sound business-like and serious, but knowing he was smiling far too much to really carry it off.

"Of course, Mr Stark," she said very solemnly. They both laughed.

They were still smiling when they got out of the car in front of the restaurant a couple minutes later, Tony being very gentlemanly in helping her out of the car. There were a few paparazzi hanging around outside – it was that sort of restaurant – so he played it up for the cameras, settling his arm around her waist as they headed for the doors, the two of them exchanging broad smiles as they walked to the door, a few flashbulbs going off to capture pictures of Tony Stark with his latest fling.

Inside was quiet, a nicely subdued atmosphere. Tony was well-known here, and they were shown to the small room he'd reserved immediately. Pepper and Happy showed up as Tony was about to take his own seat after showing Darcy into hers, and introductions and greetings were done, Pepper looking at Darcy with real interest after finding out she was Dr Foster's assistant and familiar with all the Avengers. The two of them soon had their heads together, doubtless comparing notes on what it was like to be around superheroes, while Tony and Happy talked cars for a while.

Tony was pleased by how well the meal went, without any embarrassing incidents, just a lot of good conversation between friends over some very well-made food and fine wines.

"I think I'd better go powder my nose before dessert," Darcy eventually said. "Excuse me, please."

"I think I'll do the same," Pepper said, and rose as well, the two women heading off together.

Tony smiled as he watched them leave, then turned to Happy. "Happy... I just want to say, I'm really pleased for you and Pepper."

"Thanks. You're not about to give me the shovel talk, are you?" Happy asked, a little suspiciously.

"God, no... after all the times I messed things up between me and Pepper, I'm the last person with any right to give anyone the shovel talk over her. Just, I can see how the two of you smile every time you look at each other, and... and I'm glad. I want Pepper to be happy, and I can see she is with you. And I know you well enough to be pretty sure that, unlike me, you'll do your best to keep her happy. You're good at all the things I suck at, like remembering special dates, and likes and dislikes, and allergies, all that sort of stuff. I'm honestly glad for both of you."

Happy smiled, flushing a little. "Thanks. She means the world to me, Tony. I'm glad you're fine with us being together, I'd hate if this ever came between us."

"It won't," Tony promised. "I'm friends with both of you still, and if anything I'm kind of tickled pink that two of my favourite people are right for each other."

Happy grinned. "Tickled pink?"

Tony shrugged, smiling. "I may have been hanging around a lot lately with people who actually use phrases like that."

Happy laughed. "They being a good influence on you?"

"Sometimes. And sometimes I'm a bad influence on them. Somehow it all works out."

Happy nodded, and sipped his wine, then glanced the way the two women had gone. "I like this Darcy person. She seems real nice. Little young though, isn't she?"

Tony quickly held up his hands. "Whoa, don't worry – Darcy and I are friends only. Among other things she's best buds with Thor and he would break anyone who ever hurt her in any way. Though I do like her; she gets my humour. And over ninety percent of my references, which is pretty amazing for her age."

Happy nodded. Pepper and Darcy returned just then, so they turned back to safer conversational topics while they enjoyed dessert and coffee before finally leaving.

"That was an awesome dinner, Tony... any time you need a date again, feel free to ask, okay?" Darcy said as their car pulled away from the restaurant.

Tony nodded. "It was pretty nice, wasn't it? I'll put you at the top of my go-to list for unexpected dates, how's that sound?"

Darcy smiled. "Sounds really excellent."

Tony's driver dropped him off at the tower before taking Darcy home. Tony lifted a hand in farewell as the car pulled away, then headed up to his level and bed, feeling really happy with how well the day had gone, overall.


	15. Relationships

Tony was mildly surprised to see that Loki was still the same black borzoi the next day; apart from that first warg form he'd taken, he'd normally only held any single form for one, perhaps two days, which Tony and Bruce theorized was because of his need for sleep; he hadn't yet returned to a previous form when waking, though they didn't know if that was because of choice or because he _couldn't_.

Natasha volunteered to take Loki for another walk, and after giving Loki permission to follow her, Tony himself had to head downstairs, to Pepper's office, to finish signing more of the numerous documents she'd brought that needed his attention, some of which she insisted on explaining to him before allowing him to sign. He always hated that, even though he knew she was doing it in his own best interests. He trusted her and would have happily signed without the long boring explanations; but that meant also trusting that if she insisted he know the ramifications of signing a particular document, she had a good reason behind it.

He was relieved when she tucked the latest set of signed documents away in a folder, put them to one side and smiled warmly at him. "I think we're about due a break," she said, and rose to her feet. "Coffee?"

"Irish?" he asked hopefully.

Pepper gave him an amused look and a slight shake of her head. "No. Though if you ask nicely I might let you have it with a little flavoured syrup added."

"Ooo, fancy! What flavours do you have on offer?" he asked as he settled back in the chair, watching as she stepped over to the sideboard where her personal coffee maker was set up.

She opened a cabinet hung on the wall above it, and looked over a row of small glass bottles there. "Hazelnut, almond, caramel, vanilla, mint, orange..."

"Orange, please," he said, and watched as she prepared two cups, adding orange syrup to his but taking her own plain. He smiled when she handed it to him. "Don't you have people to do this for you?" he asked curiously, before taking a sip and making an approving noise.

"You mean like you did? As in me, specifically? Unless I'm really busy, I prefer to have my own PA do more useful things than fetch coffee for me," she told him dryly.

"Ouch! Is that your way of saying I was wasting your time or skills all those years you were my PA?"

Pepper's lips crooked a little as she leaned forward, setting her own mug down on the coffee table between them. "Occasionally, maybe," she said. "Though I was fine with most of it, really."

"Bringing me coffee?"

"Menial, but tolerable."

"Arranging my parties?"

"Usually fun."

"Dealing with my morning after's?"

Pepper's mouth thinned for a moment and her eyebrows twitched up and then levelled out again. She said nothing.

"I'll take that as a no," Tony said. "Okay, yeah, I guess that was kind of a tacky job to stick you with," he agreed, and then took another sip of his coffee and found himself smiling at her. "Best PA I ever had. Only one that lasted more than two months. And now you run my company for me. Best hiring decision I ever made."

Pepper smiled, and picked up her own mug again. "Best job I've ever had, even if you have made it an adventure, at times."

"I think you meant to say a nightmare."

"Maybe. Some times. Just a little. Though mostly it wasn't you that was making it that way, just..." She made a gesture, partly a shrug, her hands moving apart as if releasing something.

"...just everyone that was out to kill me. Stane, Hammer, Loki, Killian, assorted extras." Tony said.

Pepper smiled again. "A cast of thousands."

"With an epic musical dance routine in the skies of New York. No show girls, oddly enough."

That drew a snort of Pepper. "Oh, please."

"Okay, yes, there were show girls, but not in New York. After we broke up again, yes. Not before."

"The Starkettes?" Pepper said, one eyebrow arching high.

"They don't count, I wasn't sleeping with them. And anyway they were in New Jersey, not New York."

Pepper laughed, then put down her mug again, this time to push a fresh stack of paperwork his way. "More signatures," she said firmly.

Tony groaned. "All right, but only because I like you. And you bribed me with delicious coffee. I could use another cup of it, by the way."

She laughed again, and went to prepare a second cup for him. He looked up for a moment, watching her walk the few steps away, and smiled as he turned back to the stack of papers.

* * *

Happy and Pepper went off to do a private lunch followed by some sightseeing and shopping that afternoon, then rejoined the Avengers at the tower for a couple hours of socializing that evening before heading to the airport to fly back to the west coast. Tony had never understood Pepper's preference for red-eye flights, though he supposed that on his company jets, which usually had a full bedroom tucked in somewhere on board in addition to the fully-reclining seats, it was likely more comfortable to tuck in and sleep the flight away than sit through a five to six hour daytime flight.

Tony saw the two of them to the airport, despite Pepper's protests that it wasn't needed. "I don't see enough of you two any more," he told them. "You better make it out here more often, or I might find myself with the irresistible urge to do something that means you _have_ to come back east for a day or two."

"You do that, and I'll send someone who _isn't_ me to deal with it," Pepper said warningly. "You could always come visit us, you know."

"Can't. Avenger's stuff is keeping me pretty glued down here at the moment."

"Loki?"

"Actually no, he's pretty portable, at least by the way Thor described the set-up to us. Though yes I would prefer to stay where I have the full team to deal with things if he does somehow break free. But it's stuff other than Loki that I mean, most of which falls in the field of I-can't-tell-you or Fury will bring the weight of his full displeasure down on me."

"You ignore Fury's displeasure all the time, Tony," Pepper pointed out.

"Yeah, but some of this is stuff that would paint a great big target on you if you knew it, so... in this case, I'll go along with him."

That got him a sharp look from both Pepper and Happy; they'd both seen before what sort of things happened to people who'd drawn the attention of Stark's enemies. Neither of them wanted that kind of attention again.

"All right," Pepper finally agreed, reluctantly. "But you better clear a spot in your schedule for next spring."

"Oh? What for?"

"A wedding," Happy said, and Pepper grinned, holding up her hand to display an engagement ring that certainly hadn't been on her hand yesterday or that morning. Happy turned almost red, smiling happily. "Asked her this afternoon, while we were out."

Tony whooped, and moved from his seat to hug them both in turn. "That's great! Okay, _yes_ , I will clear room on my busy schedule to be in Malibu for a week or two next spring. Just let me know which week or two I need to actually be there, all right? I promise I'll be there, as long as the aliens aren't invading again at the time."

The remainder of the trip to the airport was filled with Happy describing where and how he'd proposed – a gymnasium on the east side where he'd started out his boxing career many years before. Not the most romantic of locations, but Tony knew it was the place where Happy had had the handful of wins that had started off his career, a string that he'd never been able to match after he went pro – loses being more of his thing, unfortunately – and which had therefor made him consider that gym as his lucky location.

Tony stayed with them through as much as the airport as he could, only finally exchanging good-bye hugs before they went into the screening area. He stayed there, until they'd disappeared out of sight down the hallway beyond it, before returning home to the Tower.

* * *

Loki is tired, after almost three full days in this form, but is not yet ready to sleep. The common rooms are darkened, only a few scattered lights and an occasional LED providing faint illumination. He wanders around the area he is allowed in, feeling restless, even though Natasha took him for a walk earlier in the days and Rogers took him to Central Park that evening and let him run around in one of the off-leash areas.

He has drunken most of the water left in his bowl in the kitchen and is wandering around the common room, sniffing around to see what his sensitive nose can tell him, when the elevator chimes and opens. Stark walks into the common area, dressed in a two-piece business suit but with his tie stuffed in his pocket and his shirt unbuttoned halfway down, the blue glow of the machine embedded in his chest visible. He smells of cars and crowds, and the two people that had been visiting since the morning before.

Loki sits down where he is, not quite in Stark's path, and is faintly surprised when Stark pauses to smooth one hand over his head before continuing on to the bar. He gathers together a double handful of tumblers, and carries them over to the coffee table, setting them down in a row, four of them, then returns to the bar and fetches a bottle. He pours out a measured amount into each glass, then carries the bottle back over to the bar, and starts to put it away, before visibly changing his mind. Stark pours out a fifth glass, twice as much as the other drinks, then finally returns the bottle to its shelf.

He walks back over, sipping at his drink, and sets it down, then strips off his jacket and tosses it to drape over the back of one of the armchairs before dropping down to sit at one end of the couch, his drinks arranged in front of him. Loki waits a moment, then rises and walks over, sniffing in passing at one glass – it smells overly sharp and foul to his doggish senses – before sitting down beside the couch, resting his head on the arm. Stark snorts softly, but pets him anyway before he leans forward to pick up the overly-full glass again. He resumes running his hand over Loki's head once he sits back again, glass in hand.

There is silence for a while, except for the soft noises of Stark sipping at his drink, setting down that glass once it is empty and picking up another.

"I kind of love her still," Stark says after a while, staring at the liquid remaining in his tumbler. "Though it didn't work out for us as a couple. People like you were kind of to blame for some of that. Okay, for a lot of that, when it wasn't me fucking it up all by myself. Though you personally actually rank relatively low of the list of people-who've-fucked-up-my-relationships. You and your invasion didn't help much, but we were actually at a good place in our relationship through most of that."

He falls silent again, just sitting there and drinking slowly but steadily. He has stopped petting Loki. Loki rises after a while, walking around to the other side of the couch, and jumps up onto it, turning a couple of circles before lying down, stretching out to take up most of the couch, with his head resting on Stark's thigh. Stark laughs, softly, and resumes petting him.

"God, you are _such_ a suck-up as a dog, you know that? You want all the attention, don't you?" His voice sounds amused. Loki considers taking offence at his phrasing, but Stark's fingers are buried in the thick fur back of his ear and scratching in just exactly the right way at the moment, and he decides to ignore it for now, other than to snap his teeth. Stark laughs again.

There is another long silence, during which Stark methodically works his way through his drinks, eventually slumping down a little in his seat, relaxed and likely more than a little drunken by now. His hand has not stopped petting and scratching, and Loki feels very relaxed. He shifts to a slightly more comfortable position, his eyes slowly closing in enjoyment.

* * *

Tony fingers were still rubbing little circles in the long black hair of the head in his lap when the change of shape and weight and texture, and the faint snoring, penetrated his tipsiness enough for him to realize that he's rubbing Loki's head now; not Loki the borzoi, but Loki the naked Asgardian magician. He froze for a moment, on the verge of screaming and jumping to his feet, but the cushioning effect of the alcohol he'd consumed made the situation seem more amusing and a lot less disturbing than it might otherwise have been.

He'd already seen Loki nude before, he reminded himself, both when the binding was cast between them and the first time Loki had slept in the common room afterwards. He'd also seen him nude and asleep on Jarvis' video surveillance few times since as well, though Jarvis always thoughtfully added a little censor blur to the images to both preserve Loki's modesty, such as it was, and prevent Tony and Bruce having any need for brain bleach.

Not that much bleach would actually be needed, Tony couldn't help but think as he tried to keep his eyes averted from the body sprawled out on display over much of the couch. Say what you will about Loki, he's a handsome man. Granted he's also an insane, power-hungry ass-hole, he's good-looking, if you like them long and lean. Which, Tony knows, he rather does. Though mostly he prefers the type with rather more curves and opposing rather than matching genitalia, but he'd be lying if he ever tried to claim he hadn't taken a walk or two on the wild side in the past. And enjoyed it. Maybe not enough to switch teams in any big way, but enough to at least allow the possibility of it on his mental menu.

He realized he was now past the point where it made any sense to jump and run. The only question remaining was, should he try and ease out of the situation and retreat to his quarters, or remain where he was. He shifted position slightly, then abruptly decided to remain. Because he still had another drink to go, he told himself. Nothing at all to do with the realization that it's been three days since Loki last slept, and that trying to extricate himself might wake the sleeping man.

He'd have to think up some additional explanation for why he remained there once the last drink was finished, eventually falling to sleep with Loki's head still resting in his lap, his fingers wound into the god's long black hair. If anyone asked, anyway.


	16. Cheeseball Comedies

Loki wakes to two realizations; the first is that he slept without first considering a form the night before, and has woken to something random – and small – today. The second is that he and Stark are both still on the couch in the common room, and that he is curled up against Stark's belly, the man lying slumped over on one side with his legs trailing off of the couch onto the floor.

He recoils, and yelps as he rolls off the edge onto the floor. Some kind of dog again, he realizes. Stark makes a muttering sound, as if waking, and Loki quickly scampers away, down the hallway to his own room, claws tick-tacking against the floor.

It is still dark out, not full night yet still dark enough for the windows of his room to act like a mirror. He walks close and sees that he is a small dog, with a thick, fluffy black coat, a compact body, and a fox-like face with upright ears. He is pleased; the result of a random transformation could have been worse. He wonders if his enjoyment of the previous form acted as an influence, in lieu of him making any more conscious effort to select a shape to change to. It is at least possible, especially when the only truly major change between this form and the previous one is scale, everything else being minor cosmetic differences.

Loki notes that he is feeling rather more full of energy today than he was in the larger shape; nervous energy, energy that wants to be used. He turns his head, catches sight of one of the scattered toys in the room, and without further thought finds himself bounding across the room to leap on it and fiercely attack it, growling and shaking it in his jaws, trying to pin it down with his forepaws so he can more easily tear at it. He gives himself up to the animal instincts for a while, revelling in the nimbleness and speed of this body, only stopping once it tires out. He walks over to and flops down belly-first on his mattress, and chews on the corner of his good blanket – replacement for the shredded one – for a while, enjoying the texture of it scrunching in his teeth. It is light outside now, the city waking, the background hum of its traffic and inhabitants audible even this high up.

He thinks of putting on music, or reading for a while, then abruptly sits up, nose twitching. Someone is cooking sausages, he can smell the rich fatty odour of them. He races out of his room and down the hallway, almost colliding with Rogers as he darts into the common room. Rogers gives a startled yell as Loki scrabbles at the floor and narrowly misses running into his legs, and after that it's a clear run into the kitchen, where Natasha and Clint are seated at the breakfast bar, watching as Stark stands at the stove, still wearing his dress pants and shirt from the night before, and waving a spatula around while he cooks.

Loki's scrambling entrance has attracted attention, but he doesn't care. He comes to a stop beside Stark, and then hops up on his hind legs, forepaws waving, and barks, demanding sausages. Clint starts laughing, even Natasha makes a weird little snorting sound, while Stark gives him a startled stare before beginning to laugh as well. The laughter makes him want to _bite_ , but then Stark scoops up a sausage and steps over to drop it into Loki's feeding bowl. Loki dances around his feet all the way over, eyes glued on the sausage, and gnaws and licks at it despite it being a little too hot to eat comfortably.

"Well, _someone_ appreciates my cooking," Stark says, sounding pleased.

"What the hell kind of dog is that, anyway?" Barton asks, peering over the edge of the counter at him. Loki growls warningly at him, then goes back to chewing on his sausage.

"I think I've seen that breed before," Natasha says thoughtfully. "In northern Europe somewhere..."

"Huh... so have I," Rogers says, leaning in the doorway and looking thoughtfully down at Loki. "During the war."

"Jarvis? Any ideas?" Stark asks.

" _The appearance seems to match that of a Schipperke, sir. The breed originated in Belgium, and were used to carry messages by the Belgian Resistance during World War 2._ "

Rogers grinned. "That was it! I saw one of these little guys bringing in a message once," he says happily, and crouches down, reaching out as if to pet Loki. Loki quickly shifts his hindquarters away and snarls, showing teeth warningly.

"Careful there Cap, it looks like he's territorial about his food," Stark says.

"So I see," Rogers says, withdrawing his hand and straightening back up, then frowns at the stove. "Your heat is up too high and you're going to be burning those in a minute if you don't turn them and turn the stove down," he adds, nodding to the pans that Stark has abandoned.

Stark makes a noise rather like a yelp himself, and hurries back to the stove to tend to his cooking. "Oops. Good catch. I better get the eggs going too or all we'll be having is sausages."

"Correction, I'll get the eggs going, you keep an eye on those sausages so they don't burn," Rogers says firmly, and steps past Tony, heading to the fridge and taking out a carton of eggs.

"All right, if you insist," Stark says. "But I want it to go on record that I was willing to make breakfast myself and you wouldn't let me."

"I think all of us are fine with that," Clint spoke up. "I like my breakfasts edible."

"Says the man who thinks things like Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms are real breakfast foods," Stark said as he busied himself with turning the sausages, a process made more difficult by them having begun to stick to the bottom of the pan. Loki, his sausage already finished, stretches out on the floor and watches, feeling confident that there will be another sausage or two for him soon.

"Oh come off it, Stark, I know that Thor isn't the only Avenger with a toaster pastry fetish; I've seen the contents of your snack cupboard down in your lab. And the one in your workshop. And the stash in the garage."

"Hey! It's not my fault that things like Pop Tarts, breakfast bars, and Twinkies are the perfect long-shelf-life foods to keep around for sudden attacks of the munchies!"

"Twinkies? Where are you getting Twinkies from? I thought they didn't make those any more?" Banner asks as he wanders into the kitchen to join them.

"They started making them again a couple of months ago. Though before that I was having to import them from Canada for a while."

"I think admitting you imported Twinkies means you have no right to question Clint's preferences in sugary foods," Natasha says dryly.

Loki whines as he sees Stark begin transferring the sausages to a platter, and is pleased when another sausage finds it way into his bowl.

* * *

Tony peered over Bruce's shoulder at the monitor showing Loki's room. "What's he up to now?"

"Disemboweling another stuffed toy. Third one this morning. We're going to need to buy him some new toys soon at this rate."

"Destructive little fucker, isn't he? But then we kind of knew that already," Tony replied.

Bruce smiled slowly. "Yes, yes he is. How are the sensors coming?"

"Last units are coming out of production within the hour. I should be able to get them all installed this afternoon, after which we just hope and pray."

"I thought you weren't a religious man?"

"Totally irreligious, yup. I plan to subcontract the actual praying to Steve. He's so wholesome, even if he turns out to be a closet agnostic I'm sure any divine force that happens to exist would listen to his prayers anyway."

Bruce grinned and shook his head. "I have a feeling that he wouldn't agree to that suggestion. Or that interpretation."

"Yeah, I suspect you're right. Unfortunately he's the only person I know of offhand who is of the believing sort. Or do you know something about one of our teammates that I don't?"

"Unlikely. I'm sure you and Jarvis know them much better than I do."

"Ooo, was that a zinger? Are you zinging me, Banner?"

Bruce smiled again. "Might be. Just remember not to ever use the power of Jarvis for evil."

" _Do not worry, Dr Banner, I have protocols to prevent such an occurrence._ "

"Yeah, but Tony can overwrite those if he really wants to, right?"

" _I have protocols for that as well, Dr Banner._ "

Bruce gave a snort of laughter, and then gave Tony a thoughtful look. "Really?"

"Yup, really. Part of a safety net I put in, just in case of me making decisions like drunk-editing of Jarvis' protocols, or someone other than myself gaining editing access to them; there's a hidden mini version of Jarvis, very highly specialized, that evaluates any proposed protocol changes. It can veto them if it believes the changes are potentially harmful. In a pinch if I or someone else somehow implements a change in spite of its veto, it can even freeze out Jarvis' current protocol set and swap in a well-tested older set of protocols, and then lock out any additional editing attempts until I enter a reset code at one of several fixed geographical locations."

"So you're saying Jarvis has a mini-me?"

Tony laughed. "Yeah, I call it Jar-head. It's not as smart or flexible as Jarvis is, it's more on the lines of an artificial stupid than an artificial intelligence, but the one job it has, it does _really_ well."

"How can you be sure it does it well? Have you tested it?"

"See earlier statement about drunk-editing of Jarvis."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Thankfully I get bright ideas like that a lot less frequently now that I've cut back on consumption."

Bruce laughed, then patted Tony's shoulder as he rose to his feet. "Time for lunch for me; you want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good. I've got some leftover pizza in the fridge, assuming Clint didn't sneak in and eat it all."

"All right, see you later then."

Tony raised a hand in farewell as he scooted over to the fridge, where he found that Clint had indeed eaten the remaining pizza, but he'd acquired a beef shawarma that hadn't been there the day before. Not one to look a gift shawarma in the mouth, he happily ate it while waiting for the production of the sensor array to finish.

* * *

Steve glanced up as Natasha and Clint walked into the entertainment room, take-out bags in hand. "What are we having tonight?" he asked.

"Thai food," Clint said, smiling happily. "From that place Bruce likes."

"Sweet," Tony said as he walked into the room behind them. "Did you get their green mango salad? I _love_ that salad."

"We all love that salad, Tony," Natasha pointed out.

Clint hefted up one of the bags he was carrying, double-bagged and packed to the top with containers. "All of this is green mango salad," he said, sounding pleased with himself. "That look like enough, Stark?"

"Yeah, it should suffice, at least since Thor isn't here tonight," Tony agreed. "What are we watching?"

"More 80's cheeseball sci-fi comedies," Clint said. "Spaceballs, to be exact, also Howard the Duck and Night of the Comet."

"Ooo, _excellent_ ," Tony exclaimed, and hopped over the back of the couch to settle in beside Steve while Natasha and Clint set out the take-out containers on the coffee table, alongside the piles of plates and cutlery that were already waiting. "Dibs on getting to sit beside Cap."

Steve smiled, then elbowed Tony gently. "Shift over then," he said.

"Why?" Tony asked, even as he slid to the far right end of the couch so that Steve could move to the middle.

"Because I already had dibs on sitting next to Steve," Natasha said, and smiled as she sat down to Steve's left. Steve smiled warmly at her, then leaned forward to serve himself a plate full of food

"Oh, I see how it is," Tony said, and pouted. "You've fallen for the dangerous redhead and forgotten all about me."

Steve grinned, but didn't otherwise respond, though once Natasha had filled her plate as well she leaned against his shoulder in a very friendly manner.

"What are we watching?" Bruce asked as he wandered in, then drew in a deep breath. "Thai?"

"Spaceballs, and yes," Tony said.

"Awesome," Bruce said, getting himself a plate full as well.

Once they all had food and seats – Clint sitting cross-legged on the floor at Natasha's feet, Bruce claiming the beaten-up plaid laz-e-boy recliner that had been bought for the room as a joke but which he'd fallen in love with – Jarvis started the first movie rolling. The opening scenes had only gotten as far as the "We Brake For Nobody" bumper-sticker on the back of the spaceship when an unexpected whining sound began behind them, a whine that quickly began breaking into barking. They all turned and looked at Loki, who was standing just outside the doorway of the entertainment room, peering in and making abortive little moves as if he was about to bounce towards them.

"Oh, hell... okay, fine, you can come into the entertainment room too," Tony said.

Loki yipped and charged forward, leaping up and over the back of the couch and squirming down into the space between Steve and Tony, looking interestedly back and forth between their plates. Tony moved his to the side, curling one arm protectively around it.

Natasha leaned forward, giving him a look around Steve. "Feed Loki, Tony – he's your responsibility."

Tony sighed. "Oh, fine," he agreed. "Though if the spices disagree with him you get to clean up the mess."

"They won't," she said, unperturbed, and sat back again.


	17. A Very Long Walk

Loki knows he should not be allowing himself to feel this pleased over being included in the Avengers' movie watching group for the night, but he is honest enough with himself to know how difficult it would be to suppress his pleasure at the feeling of acceptance it is giving him. He will allow himself to enjoy it this one night, he tells himself; if they allow him back on future nights it will be easier to ignore then, when it is not such a strong new feeling.

Stark makes a show of how unhappy he is feeding some of his own food to Loki, but when he refills his plate, he makes sure to take several of the dish that Loki found most acceptable of the offerings, skewered chunks of pale meat – some variety of bird, likely chicken by the blandness of it – with a slightly granular spicy sauce that they can be dipped into. Rogers slips him little strips of beef when Stark is not looking, coated in a tangy dark sauce speckled with pale seeds. He likes the foods they eat on Midgard, a far wider variety than is generally available at the feasts of Asgard.

By the time the first confusing movie ends, they have all eaten to satiation, and the group takes a short break to see that the leftovers are packaged away and placed in the fridge, drinks fetched for all, washroom breaks taken, before assembling again and beginning the second movie. Loki finds this second movie easier to follow, the plot of the story making rather more logical sense even if the story being told is almost equally as nonsensical in nature as the first.

He forgets himself enough to get caught up in the story, and finds himself standing up and barking excitedly at the screen when the Dark Overlord kidnaps Beverly,

"Easy," Rogers says, and much to his chagrin scoops Loki up easily, setting him down in his lap and petting him. For a moment Loki is torn between wanting to bite and snap at being so easily manhandled, and the pleasure of being petted. His animal form wants the petting, and goes limp and quiet, but he makes himself growl warningly every time Rogers' hand runs down him back, to make sure his displeasure is clear. Quietly, so as not to miss the dialogue.

He cannot decide whether or not Howard made the right decision at the end, when confronted with the choice of saving earth from the alien invasion and being trapped there himself, or returning safely to his own home. It reminds him too uncomfortably of the choices he himself has made in the last couple of years. It makes him feel out of sorts and angry, and after taking his own bathroom break and drinking the last of the water in his bowl he slinks into the plant-filled corner of the common room, hiding away and thinking while the Avengers make popcorn and get refills for their drinks. He hears them settling back down to watch the third movie, but remains where he is, certain they will not miss his unwanted company.

"Where's Loki?" he hears Stark ask.

"I don't know, last I saw he was getting some water," Banner answers.

"Loki! We're about to start the next movie!" Stark calls out, loudly. "Get your ass back over here if you want to see it!"

He will blame the location-specific component of the spell if anyone ever asks why he races out of the corner so quickly and back into the room, taking his spot between Steve and Tony again.

* * *

Tony leaned back comfortably on the couch, watching as Loki made a his way around the room, sticking his nose in abandoned bowls in search of any leftover popcorn. He wondered, not for the first time, how much of Loki's behaviour in animal form is Loki, and how much is the normal reactions of the animal itself. The way Loki had reacted the couple of times when someone picked him up and petted him to quiet him – Steve during the chase scene in Howard the Duck, and pretty much everyone except Bruce at some point during Night of the Comet – leads him to think that it's likely some mix of the two that determines Loki's reactions.

As a test, he tried snapping his fingers and whistling. Loki reacted much as any dog would at first – turning and looking attentively at him – but when he patted the seat beside him Loki made no move to come closer. Not until he unthinkingly called "Here boy!"

Loki raced over and jumped up, stopped in the indicated spot, but as soon as Tony started to reach out toward him, the little dog stiffened and showed its teeth, fur fluffing out and growling menacingly. Tony froze for a moment, then his thoughts caught up with the words coming out of his mouth and he realized what he'd done; given Loki a definite location-based order.

"Oh, hey, sorry, I didn't mean to do that," Tony apologized. Then sighed. "Okay, your authorized area is the common room, kitchen, entertainment room, hallway, hallway bathroom, and your room. Feel free to go wherever in your authorized area that you want to."

He expected Loki to leave in a huff as soon as the words left his mouth, but instead Loki remained where he was, studying Tony intently, his fur and rump both settling back down. Tony studied him back with equal curiosity.

"I guess we confuse you at times," Tony said after a while. Loki snorted in response. "Was that a yes, or a no?"

Loki went still again, then abruptly rose to his feet and jumped down off the couch, walking away.

"Still not in a mood to talk, are you," Tony observed, then craned his head over the back of the couch, watching Loki pass through the common room on the way to, presumably, his own room. "If you ever change your mind about that, I'm willing to listen."

* * *

As enjoyable in some ways as being the small dog is, Loki decides he does not want to remain it for a second day; the Avengers take too many liberties with him as a smaller animal. Yet he likes the way they let their guard down around him as a dog. So... a bigger dog, he thinks as he curls up to sleep. Something they are more likely to remain cautious of, to handle carefully rather than thoughtlessly.

When he wakes he can feel the change already, the difference in size, in energy, in abilities. It is already day out, so he cannot see his reflection clearly in the windows, but there is a mirror over the sink in his bathroom, and he is large enough to be able to rest his forepaws on the edge of the counter and look. He has a short-furred coat, with a black face and erect black ears, the black fading down his neck to a warm red-gold everywhere else, creamier in colour on the underbelly. Not as big as the first dog he was, but considerably larger than the little black one was.

Someone – Clint – whistles appreciatively as he enters the kitchen, and he grins back at the archer, allowing his tail a single slow wag in return.

"German shepherd?" Tony asks, looking him over thoughtfully, a mug of coffee in hand.

"Wrong coat colouration," Bruce speaks up, from where he is busy filling bowls with something that smells of toasted grains, dried fruit and berries, nuts, and a sweet oiliness.

"Jarvis?" Tony asks.

" _Another Belgian dog, sir – a Malinois._ "

"Interesting," Bruce says, looking at Loki with increased attention. It makes Loki feel uneasy, and he keeps a careful eye on Bruce as he places the bowls of cereal on the breakfast bar, along with pitchers of milk, juice, bowls of chopped fresh fruits and berries, and a large glass bowl full of something that smells like sour milk. Yogurt, Loki decides, and starts salivating, remembering the pleasant sharp tang of it, one of those simple foods that is found almost everywhere that lactating creatures can be found.

"We're almost out of granola," Bruce says as he takes a seat at one end of the long counter and pours yogurt over his cereal, then tops it with berries.

" _I've added the usual ingredients to the list, sir,_ " Jarvis says.

"You know, we can buy pre-made granola," Tony points out as he takes a seat as well, ignoring the yogurt and adding a large heap of fruit to his bowl before drowning it in milk.

"I like making granola from scratch, it tastes better."

"It does," Clint agrees, takes his bowl of dry granola and leaves the kitchen, carrying it off to the entertainment room.

"Cartoons again?" Tony asks.

"Rocket Robin Hood marathon," Natasha responds, and heads off after Clint, taking her bowl – doctored with yogurt and sliced fruit – and a spoon along.

"Is that something I should be watching?" Steve asks.

"Depends. It's a pretty silly series," Tony says.

"And the movies we were watching last night weren't?"

"Point," Tony says. He and Bruce exchange looks, then grin and stand up and shepherd Steve away.

Somehow they end up all settled in the entertainment room again, the coffee table hidden under empty popcorn bowls and all of the things Bruce had put out on the breakfast bar, as well as a carafe of coffee a large pot of tea, and all of the condiments the Avengers like with those. Loki has a large bowl full of seared cubes of beef and mutton, and a smaller one of yogurt that it had taken him some work to convince the others that he wanted. The short shows they are watching are even more ridiculous than the movies the night before, and soon lose this interest.

After breakfast is eaten it is Bruce who volunteers to take him for a walk, rather to his surprise, leaving the rest free to continue watching the cartoons. They don't go north to the big park that he has become used to, but take a very long walk through the city to a string of smaller parks along the south-eastern waterfront. Bruce walks at a slow but steady stroll, not the fast pace or outright jog that Loki has already become used to with Natasha and Steve. Bruce doesn't talk to him like Steve does, doesn't stop and read for a while like Natasha usually does, but he does stop eventually and just leans on a railing, watching the water, silent.

It is a restful silence, and Loki stretches out by his feet after a while, nose stuck through the railing and watching the water as well.

There is a bridge spanning the river to the south of them. Loki watches it with interest, seeing the sunlight flashing off of vehicles crossing it, seeing movement higher on the bridge also, too small to be vehicles, some of it too fast to be people on foot. Bicycles, perhaps, the fast two-wheeled vehicles he has seen in use here.

"Want to cross the bridge?" Bruce asks, softly.

Loki sits up, and whines softly, curious to see it.

Bruce laughs, and they walk again,to the south, passing under the bridge before going back inland, taking a walkway over a busy multi-lane street and then even further west, until they finally reach a place where they can pass under a decorative archway and walk along a path that lifts slowly up to the heights and across the river. It is a wide path, with places for people to walk and places for people to ride their bicycles. Down below them is a level filled with the noisy stinking cars and trucks that these humans seem so attached to, as well as a pair of tracks meant to carry some other mode of transport, but currently empty.

He sticks close to Bruce, watching the people and the bicycles warily. It is a long way across. They stop for a few minutes in the middle of the span, Bruce leaning against the screened-in walls that surround the pathway, Loki sitting at his feet, looking at the wide river so far below. After a while he can smell that the confined space, the walls and roof made of beams and screens, is making Bruce increasingly uneasy. It is easy to imagine why, knowing that Banner's beast has been trapped and caged in the past, picturing what destruction his beast could cause to others caught in such a space with it. He noses and licks at Bruce's hand to distract him and regain his attention, then begins to walk again, pulling on his leash now. Bruce makes a sound, a strangled laughing noise, but follows him, both of them tense and walking fast now, aware of how close to the surface the beast lies.

It is a relief when they finally exit the walkway at the eastern side of the river. Loki leads them north, still pulling on the leash, sniffing for some place they can rest, some place green. The first such place they come near, west of their path, is filled with children. He can smell Bruce's unease, and pulls him further east, and then north again, finally finding a little green space, just a few trees and low beds of plants tucked in between buildings, surrounded by a metal fence; upright bars, that would seem cage-like if not for the open sky overhead, the trees and plants surrounding them. There are no benches here, there are barely even paths, but Loki leads the way into the middle of it and sits down, and Bruce crouches beside him on one knee, hands digging into the fur of Loki's ruff and eyes shut, breath slowly evening out again, the beast retreating. Loki exhales, and rests his chin on the man's shoulder, feeling a mix of very confused and oddly relieved.

Bruce takes a phone out of his pocket after a while, and presses a button, listens to it. "Tony? Yeah, I know we've been gone a while. I think you better send a car for us. No, we're both fine. Somewhere in Brooklyn, near the bridge... yeah. Yeah, thanks."

They wait, Bruce sitting cross-legged on the ground now, Loki stretched out beside him with his chin resting on Bruce's knee, eyes half-shutting as Bruce smooths one hand over his ears and down the curve of his neck again and again.

When a car arrives it is something low-slung and quiet, with sleek lines, an open roof, and Tony sitting at the wheel. He grins at the two of them as they rise and walk forward. "When you go for a walk you really go for a walk," he says.

Bruce shrugs, and opens the door of the vehicle, gesturing for Loki to move into the space in back of the two seats before sitting down himself. "Yeah, well, a few miles of New York is nothing, compared to some of the walks I've made. Easiest way to avoid making a blip on the official radar; walk, don't ride."

Tony snorts, then they pull away from the curb and go. They cross back over the bridge a few minutes later, down among the other cars now, the cage of the walkway overhead somewhere. Loki keeps his head pointing forward between the two seats, looking around interestedly as they drive; it is not something he has done much of before, this travelling in vehicles, even on his previous visit to Midgard. And most of those few vehicles were enclosed, hiding him away, not open to the sky like this. He enjoys it, until they finally drive down a tunnel, into an underground garage, where they leave the vehicle behind and ride the elevator back up to the quarters he has become so used to already.

He is let off in the common room; Tony and Bruce go off together, taking the elevator back down to Tony's lab. It disappoints him to be left behind, but Clint is lounging on the couch, singing softly along with music that Jarvis is playing for him, and when he sees Loki he jumps up and insists that it is time to give him a good combing, which Loki allows.

* * *

"So what happened?" Tony asked as he dropped into his stool by the workbench.

Bruce smiled crookedly, shrugged, dropped down to sit on the couch in the corner, fingers loosely laced together. "I was fine until we were halfway across the bridge. The other guy has had some bad experiences with enclosed walkways, and that one is... particularly cage-like."

"Oh. Oh shit. Well, good thing you got yourself out of there."

Bruce smiled, a strange smile. "It wasn't me that got me out of there. It was Loki."

"Really!?"

"Yeah, really. I guess he could tell I was getting... a little freaked out. And given his last experience with the big guy, I suppose he wasn't any more enthused about the idea of being in a confined space with him as I would be about him coming out around there either. He got me moving again, which helped a little, and once we were off the bridge, dragged me all the way to that little park like he knew just where it was."

"Smelled it, maybe," Tony offered.

"Probably," Bruce agreed, then sighed and ran one hand through his hair, a little surprised that it wasn't shaking at all. "Petting animals is supposed to be very relaxing. I think I'd have to agree with that. Even if the animal is a shape-changed magic user from another world."

Tony smiled. "I think at this point all of us have experienced the weirdness that is petting Loki. The growling-while-being-petted thing he was doing last night, it has me thinking about what Thor said when he left him here."

"About being in animal form for too long being damaging to Loki?"

"Exactly. The way he acts seems to be a mix of how that animal would react to things, and how Loki himself might react to things. What if the reason he needs to change back to human at intervals is because the animal mind influences his, for want of an easier word, human mind?"

"Hmmm," Bruce said, and crossed his arms, leaning back, eyes unfocused. Tony sat silent, waiting it out, well-used to Bruce's ways, even managing not to fidget too badly while Bruce thought things over.

"All right," Bruce finally said. "Based on observation of his interactions with us since he arrived, I think you might be right. In that case, we might be able to do things that... well, that make him easier to get along with, at least for the remainder of the duration of his stay here, however long that turns out to be."

"Like, a happy Loki might be less inclined to use his urges towards mischief for evil?"

"More or less, yes. Despite the growling last night, he clearly enjoyed being petted, even to the point of seeming to be comfortable with using it to help me calm down today. When he was in horse shapes, Clint groomed him, and he allowed that and seemed to enjoy it as well, based on his body language. Also, when he changed shape again afterwards, he changed to a shape that is _more_ likely to be touched by humans, which might be coincidence but could be related to a subconscious desire for contact. Being a dog got him the rewards of being taken out of the tower for walks, which he also seems to enjoy, plus a lot more handling. If he was, well, touch-starved before being brought here, which is likely if he's been jailed on his own all the time since Thor brought him back to Asgard for punishment... then that could be a surprisingly powerful motivator for him."

"Yeah," Tony agreed thoughtfully, doing his own version of the sitting and thinking silently for a few minutes before speaking again. "Remember what he wanted when he first came here? Not the taking over the world part, but the other bits... adulation. Acknowledgement."

"From what little Thor has said about what led to his fall from Asgard in the first place, I think we can add acceptance, praise and fame to that list, though to a certain extent they're just variations on the others."

"Daddy issues," Tony said, and flushed slightly. "Even worse than mine, since he also has the whole sibling rivalry shtick going on at the same time. He's like me, only worse. Wants to be seen and acknowledged as competent, wants to stand out of his father and brother's shadows, wants to be accepted for himself, not because of who his father and brother are. Wants..." He had to stop and swallow, knowing just how close to himself and his own desires his description was. "Wants to be loved, to be praised, to be made much of. To have the freedom to do his own thing, without that being seen as shameful."

"Yeah," Bruce agreed, and smiled crookedly. "So what if we give him some of that? Positive reinforcement, appropriate to whatever his current form is, as long as he's good."

"No punishment though, if he's at all like me, which I'd have to say he kind of is, at least a little, then telling him no will just make him more stubborn and more likely to do something unexpected and dangerous."

Bruce grinned. "Yeah, that's definitely the way you react, isn't it?"

"Sometimes to good effect," Tony pointed out, nodding toward the partially disassembled Iron Man suit on a nearby work bench.

"True, but we want to try and aim for happy Loki, not pissed off and acting out Loki."

Tony grinned briefly. "Right. Okay, I suppose we should quietly bring the others on board with this idea, and try it out. It certainly can't hurt, and if it makes Loki a little less inclined to be a pain in the ass, then I'm all for it."

Bruce nodded, and Tony sent a message to the others, asking them all to drop by the lab for a few minutes.


	18. A Proliferation of Connections

Tony had declared that it was his turn to take Loki for a walk. The god had been a dog for just over a week now, having just changed to a fourth breed of dog after spending the last two days as a border collie. Today he was a compact medium-sized dog with grey and black fur, a creamy belly, and a tightly curled tail that Natasha and Clint had taken one look at and identified as a Norwegian Elkhound. They'd obtained a variety of collars now, to allow for the size changes in the forms Loki had been taking, and Tony quickly picked out a silver-studded strip of black leather that was big enough for Loki's current form.

"Let's go somewhere special," Tony said, and had the elevator go all the way down to his private parking garage. He quickly decided on the Tesla roadster for the trip; he'd been wanting to try it on a longer run for a while now. Loki rode shotgun, strapped to the seat-belt with a travel harness that Steve insisted on them buying after hearing about Loki's previous car trip.

They left Manhattan by the Queensboro bridge, and headed east on the Queens Midtown expressway, though as soon as they were past the worst of the urbanized areas Tony headed north, preferring the slower but arguably more scenic route along Northern Boulevard. He drove for over an hour, all the way out to Sunken Meadow State Park. Pets weren't allowed in the park proper, but there was a large area of forested trails where they're allowed on leash. As soon as they moved out of sight of any of the few people braving the cool day – it's partially overcast, and the leaves will be turning colour soon – Tony slipped the leash and told Loki he could run around a little, as long as he stayed within sight.

The cool weather made the long walk pleasant, even with the hilly terrain the trails covered, though Tony purposefully avoided Cardiac Hill; he's in pretty good shape these days, but he'd still rather take it easy than give himself an unnecessary workout. Loki was clearly enjoying the walk as well, venturing off the trail into the trees to investigate interesting smells, once chasing a rabbit for some little distance before stopping and trotting back to Tony's side. He mostly kept within leash length of Tony. By the time they returned to the car he was panting a little, but didn't seem tired, and nosed at Tony as Tony puts the seat-belt harness back on him.

"Hungry?" Tony asked as they got back on the road. Loki barked, his ears perking up, which Tony chose to interpret as a 'yes'. A few questions to Jarvis led them to a smokehouse restaurant tucked away in a small shopping mall in nearby King's Park, the windows shaded by blue and white awnings, with a patio area outside. A sizable tip saw them seated outside at the patio, where Tony sipped a beer while eating a pretty heavily loaded bacon cheeseburger with fries. Loki inhaled a rather amazing amount of something the restaurant called a Combo Melt, a bun filled with both pulled pork and pulled beef brisket, along with cheddar cheese and fried onions. Loki ate most of the french fries that came with his two servings, though Tony ate his pickles and coleslaw.

They took the expressway back to the city afterwards, which got them back to the tower while it was still early afternoon.

"Have a good time?" Clint asked as Tony led Loki back into the common room.

"Yeah, drove out to Long Island, went for a long walk, had barbeque for lunch."

"Bring any back for me?" Clint asked hopefully.

Tony laughed. "No, it'd be cold and nasty by now anyway. Go buy your own lunch."

Clint made a face, then snapped his fingers at Loki, who promptly walked over and let Clint give his neck a good scratching. So far the Make Loki Likable Project (Tony's name for it, over Steve's objections) appeared as if it might be bearing fruit; Loki seemed to be acting slightly friendlier with all of them over the last few days, and no longer growled when someone petted him.

Tony walked off, feeling reasonably certain that Loki would be spending the next little while being made much of and groomed by Clint, and headed downstairs to see Bruce. Bruce was busy in his own lab, in the clean-room end of it, built more to protect the things he works with from any outside contamination than to protect the outside world from what was in the clean room. Tony sat down on the couch – a much more modern one than the beaten-up thing in Tony's workroom, though almost as comfortable – and watched Bruce work, admiring his intense concentration and the steady, methodical movements he made as he worked. He could see Bruce's lips moving even through the glass and the clean suit's faceplate, and guessed that Bruce was dictating notes to Jarvis. It wasn't until Bruce had finished whatever he was working on that he finally looked up and acknowledged Tony's presence with a lifted hand before vanishing out of sight into the airlock-like changing room.

Bruce soon emerged back into the main room of the lab, out of the clean suit and dressed in the very boring slacks and polo shirts he seemed to prefer for day to day wear, looking moderately pleased with himself.

"Things going well?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. Getting some interesting results anyway. No closer to solving my own problem, but I may have found something that could help treat radiation exposure in others. Though that's just a preliminary guess, it's going to take a lot of additional testing before I can be sure that it's doing what I think it's doing, and that there aren't any obvious deleterious side effects. How was your drive?"

"Good. How'd you know I went for a drive?"

"Jarvis. I was looking for you earlier and he told me where you'd gone."

"Looking for me? Anything interesting?"

"Nah, just wanted to find out if there'd been any readings on Loki's magic yet."

Tony shook his head, letting his frustration show. "Not a damned thing. He's changed form in front of the sensors several times now, and they haven't picked up anything."

"Have you tried checking the data from any of the neutrino detectors? IceCube? MINOS?"

"No, I've been trying to wrangle a look at their numbers, but I don't have any good contacts yet, and you know how protective scientists are of their data before they publish. Even waving a promise of grant money at them hasn't helped yet; I think they're suspicious that I've somehow discovered a commercial use for something neutrino related, and that letting me see their data even in exchange for a nice chunk of cash would in some way screw them over."

Bruce smiled crookedly. "I know a few people, let me see what I can find out. Jarvis, send me a list of the times Loki has changed forms, with as exact a time stamp for each as you can manage," he said, and sat down at his laptop, a battered old thing that he'd turned down Tony's offer of a replacement for several times since moving into the tower.

He slid on his reading glasses, then typed away for a while, staring off into space several times as he mulled over his wording, before finally pushing his chair back from the desk and taking his glasses off again, restoring them to his pocket. "It'll likely take a while before I get any answer."

Tony smiled. "Thanks. I don't know whether I'm hoping they do or don't detect anything. On the one hand, yay if they do, it's a clue! On the other hand neutrino detectors are a pain in the ass and don't scale all that well, at least in terms of making them smaller than a large building in size, seeing as the smaller they are the exponentially less chance there is of actually having anything to detect."

Bruce smiled. "So if it is something detectable in any of the ways neutrinos are, that doesn't exactly help up. Much."

"Exactly. Though I've also just thought of someone else we should bring in on this for ideas, since it's kinda-sorta related to what she's already researching."

"Oh? Oh! Jane Foster."

"Took the words right out of my mouth. Should we call her or just go drop in on her? I think we should drop in on her. It's harder for her to ignore people when they're physically present and making mouth-noises at her and getting in her way."

Bruce grinned, and started to open his mouth.

" _Don't_ say it! Though maybe that's why Darcy gets along so well with me. She's already totally familiar with the type."

Bruce smiled and shrugged, and rose to his feet. "No need for me to say a thing when you're so eloquent on the subject yourself."

"Jarvis! Let Steve know Bruce and I are going out for a bit."

" _Of course, sir._ "

* * *

Loki rolls around scratching his back on the floor of his room for a few moments, not feeling at all itchy but wanting to replace the too-easily-recalled sensation of being groomed by Clint with a memory that isn't as seductively pleasant. Not that it works particularly well, but he at least reaches a point where he can suppress the urge to go find someone else who will pat or pet or scratch him, and instead bats the interface hologram around the room for a couple of minutes, until it is placed where he wants it near the bed. He presses the button that flips it over to what Tony has irreverently named nose-key mode, a recent addition to it capabilities, then flops down on the mattress.

A smaller, curved interface of buttons detaches from the lower edge, positioning itself within easy range of his nose, while the main interface draws back a little and increases in size, so that text will be at a reasonable size and distance for his eyes to watch. He has already noticed that he gets less headaches since this change, and while prolonged use of the nose-pad buttons still gives him a sore neck and shoulders after a while, they require much less in the way of gross movements than previous interfaces did, so it is a longer time before such aches begin to build in the first place.

Jarvis opens the text screen to the same page he was last looking at, an entry in the knowledge site known as _Wikipedia_ , and Loki spends some time reading about the history and culture of a long-gone place called the Achaemenid Empire. It is slow going; even at the speed that he is capable of reading at, there are just so many names and terms that he must follow links to read about and understand, though some are names that have crossed his path before, like Xerxes and Alexander the Great. But the links he does follow have their own links as well, a proliferation of connections and related information and definitions that he can drink in and in and in and seemingly never find an end to.

The amount of knowledge the Midgardians have in even just this one place of knowledge is appalling, and even that it is only a summary, a precis, of their history and sciences, their arts, music, technology, the important places and people of their past. They live and die so quickly; in the years that his... that the All-Father has ruled Asgard, since his own doubtless ill-omened birth, there have been hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of lives of import among the short-lived mortals. Millions, even. The claimed population of their planet at this moment is a staggering number, one near-impossible to comprehend, even to he who has seen the vastness of the army that Thanos is gathering in the dark places.

Even after subtracting deaths from the births, earth gains more people each month than occupy all of Asgard. Granted it is many times larger in habitable surface area than Asgard, they are still wildly, insanely, unbelievably prolific; in all his long life Odin has had but three sons of his own body – Thor, Balder, and Týr – and while there are rumours of more, Loki has never been able to find any evidence of truth to the whispers that say Hermod and Bragi are also sons of Odin, nor any sign of the son that Odin is said to have fathered on a giant. Unless it was fathered on a frost giant, and he is truly Odinson after all, and not Laufreyson... no, he will not believe that, he _cannot_ believe that. He will not allow himself to even consider it. So... three acknowledged blood-sons of Odin, in all the long centuries of the All-Father's life.

For much of their history, it seems, _three_ has a been a small number of children for a mortal family to have, some of them having children into the double digits, and those children all born within a span of years that rarely sees even two children born in all of Asgard, apart from the very rare twins. Yet mortals sometimes give birth to a whole litter of children at once. _Like animals_ , he tells himself.

He suspects now, uneasily, that even with the full might of the chitauri backing him, this planet would have been near-impossible to subdue; annihilate vast parts of its population, certainly, but _rule_ them? They cannot even rule themselves. Even the so-called United Nations here in New York – one of the several reasons for why he had picked this city for the start of the invasion – does not do anything that would be regarded as rule anywhere else in the nine realms.

They are maddening creatures. He returns to his methodical acquisition of knowledge, trying to make sense of their madness.


	19. A Sudden Alarm

Steve was sitting at the breakfast counter, sketching Natasha while she prepared lunch herself, Steve and Clint, when Jarvis' alarm sounded; the very short, very loud one that meant 'Avengers Assemble _now_ ' and incoming danger, not the longer and somewhat quieter one that meant to suit up and wait on a briefing before heading out elsewhere.

Natasha had already switched off all the elements, dropped the spatula she'd been using to flip grilled cheese sandwiches, and dove in the direction of weapons locker disguised as a pantry unit before the alarm finished sounding. Clint, being closer to it than she was, already had it rolling open, Jarvis having helpfully unlocked it for them. Steve cursed as he rose, knocking his stool, sketchpad and pencils flying; his shield was down in his quarters, since he didn't make a habit of carting it around within the tower. He'd have to make do with whatever weapons were on hand.

" _Incoming hostiles,_ " Jarvis explained. " _Dropping from above. Unsure of exact nature but they appear to be armoured or robotic forms descending on jet-powered wings. Lockdown mode initiated for lower floors, all personnel are either evacuating or moving to their panic rooms._ "

The locker holds armour as well as weapons, though no great amount of it, which means that Natasha and Clint at least have Kevlar vests to shrug into. There isn't one large enough for Steve in the locker. "Gun me," he called, and Clint tossed him a pistol and a handful of clips. "Going for my own gear," Steve told them, and raced for the stairs down, slamming a magazine into the gun as he moved.

He spotted Bruce in the stairwell, the scientist taking two steps at a time on his way upstairs, presumably heading to join Clint and Natasha. "Tony's suiting up," Bruce called. "We were in his lab already so he decided to take the time to put on the heavy suit."

Steve nodded as they passed. The suitcase suits and self-assembling suits of various vintage that are tucked away in odd corners of their floors are good to have on hand in a pinch, but they sacrifice armour thickness and armaments for convenience; the best suits in terms of protection and weapons load-out are the ones that need the help of Jarvis and a whole lot of robotic arms to put on and take off. The heavy suit is, naturally, the most heavy-duty of them all. "See you upstairs shortly, I need my shield," Steve said.

"Jarvis, what's happening?" Steve asked as he plunged through to door to his floor, where one of Jarvis' arms is already holding out his shield, his armour carousel – another of Tony's little toys, also Jarvis-controlled – holding out the version of his armour that's easier to wear over everyday clothing, so he doesn't have to strip down to put it on, just yank it on over top like climbing into a rather bulky snowsuit.

" _Hostiles still incoming, sir, first contact estimated in two minutes. Dr Banner is moving to the roof to handle any who land there, while Mr Barton and Ms Romanov are taking out the quinjet to try and deal with as many as they can in the air. Sir should be joining them shortly. Harness ready, Captain,_ " Jarvis adds, a pair of arms holding out an already-loaded weapons harness, like a valet offering a jacket.

Steve grinned as he shrugged it on. "Thanks, Jarv, you're the best," he called as he sprinted back to the stairwell.

" _You're most welcome, Captain Rogers. Contact imminent. Activating in-house anti-hostile protocols._ "

As he raced back up the stairs, headed for the roof as well, Steve pulled the miniature headset out of its pocket on the collar of the suit, hooking it in place into and over his ear before pulling up the cowl. He was unsurprised to hear Coulson's voice already giving orders on the command circuit; Jarvis telling him that the other three Avengers were already deploying had been enough for him to be certain that the agent was already at work, doing his job.

Steve listened as Coulson's voice calmly described their attackers, the number of them, what had been observed of their capabilities so far (little), and guesses as to what weapons they appeared to be armed with based on visuals (forearm- and head-mounted weapons of unknown type, based on armoured projections at those points, possibly something in the bulky back carapace, unless that was merely the location of the fuel for their jets).

"We have a Hulk," Coulson added conversationally. "First touchdown. Quinjet is in the air. Iron Man is in the air. Second touchdown. More imminent."

Steve burst out of the roof access door in time to see the Hulk take down the first attacker, his massive first sending the armoured form flying, armour crumpled in a way that would be very damaging – likely lethal – if the armour did in fact contain a living being. The second touchdown Coulson had mentioned was holding both arms straight before it with hands hanging limp, like an extra in a zombie movie, except this one had its arms pointed at the Hulk's back and there were definitely openings in the bulges projecting upwards from its wrists, a single round opening in its right-hand bulge, and a honeycomb of small ones on the left. Its right hand fisted, and a steam of bullets sprayed from the bulge, its arm shaking slightly from the repeated recoil. The bullets ricocheted off of the Hulk's skin, annoying him rather than injuring him, and he spun and jumped, backhanding the attacker right off the roof.

Another armoured form touched down right in front of Steve, and he had his shield flying toward it even before both of its feet had settled to the ground, knocking it flying back into the Hulk, who growled in annoyance even as he pummelled it. Things got busy after that, the world narrowing to the fight around him and Coulson's calm voice in his ear, keeping all of the Avengers appraised of the progress of the overall fight, and watching everyone's back at once, calling out warnings and offering information and suggestions.

* * *

Loki leaps up from his mattress as a loud noise sounds, startled at first and then, realizing it is an alarm, wonders what the cause of it is. He doesn't have to wait very long before finding out, as the noise stops as abruptly as it started, Jarvis' voice cutting in to give warning of approaching attackers. He fears it is the chitauri, or some other of Thanos' minions come to claim him, and stands frozen for a moment, terrified.

He wishes desperately that he could use his powers, but trapped in this form as he is, there is nothing he can do. He frantically fights the spell binding him, wanting to throw it off, to have access to his full powers again, but the spell is strong and does not yield. He is growling with anger, anger only increased as this body struggles with instincts that command it to either flee or fight.

Movement outside the window catches his eye, a red-and-gold form streaking upwards; Stark, in his ridiculous Iron Man costume. Loki raced over to the window, peering upwards. He cannot see much, just dark specks high overhead getting larger as they move nearer to the tower, a glimpse or two of Iron Man swooping around. Debris lands on the balcony outside Loki's rooms; bits of metal, it looks like, chunks of stone or cement.

He glimpses a large form hurtling downwards, only just able to back away from the glass before it slams down on the balcony outside, momentum sending it smashing in through the windows. He barks at it, feeling a combination of frantic fear and anger that it is intruding on his territory, and can't even sort out which feelings belong to his form and which to him. The feeling of fear only increases as it moves, beginning to push itself upright.

" _Hostile intruder on common floor,_ " Jarvis' voice says, as a fixture on the roof of Loki's room drops open, smoothly unfolding to reveal some sort of machine. " _Loki, I would suggest you move elsewhere,_ " it adds, and then the machine opens fire towards the armoured intruder, even as the intruder moves to point one arm in Loki's direction.

Loki leaps to the side, yelping as a cloud of _something_ narrowly misses him; a cloud of tiny projectiles, he guesses, based on the ragged patch of floor that appears where he had just been standing. He keeps moving, racing out into the hallway and along it, nails scrabbling against the floor as he makes the turn into the common room. He can hear the ceiling-mounted gun still firing, noises that he assumes is the intruder firing back, as he dives for the corner behind the chair. Not a particularly good hiding place, but he is unable to think of any place in the rooms he is allowed access to that would be any safer.

" _Second hostile intruder on common floor,_ " Jarvis' voice says, and Loki hears sounds of fighting start up somewhere else nearby. " _Third hostile intruder on training level. Hostiles entering tower at multiple floors. Engaging multiple targets._ "

Loki's animal form wants to whimper in fear, but he forces himself to remain still, to remain silent. He startles at a whirring noise, whirls to attack and stops as he sees it is the floor-cleaning robot. "Loki, follow Jarvis' remote," it says to him in Tony's voice, then nudges against him once before rolling away. He rises and hurries after is as it leads him across the common room, into the entertainment room, and then through a door into a part of the tower that he has not been in before, a white-painted corridor with a series of glass and metal doors along one side of it. The sounds of fighting are more distant now, and his fear begins to lessen.

He follows the remote along the hallway, and sees that the doors lead into small storage rooms, the first few glass-doored ones filled with what he guesses to be additional stores of food stuffs and beverages for the kitchen and bar; canned goods, cereal, jugs of milk, cartons of juice, racks of wine, shelves full of other bottled goods. Frost edges the doors of one room, filled with what he assumes to be frozen foods. The doors change from glass to solid metal; no sign of what is contained within. The remote stops at a narrow metal door inset in the wall, less than two feet in width and a yard in height. The door slides upwards, revealing a dark tunnel; the lights in the hallway penetrate only a short distance in. The remote heads into it.

Loki does not much like the idea of entering the place, but does. The door slides shut behind him, leaving him in total darkness, and he freezes. Not total darkness, he realizes after a moment, as his eyes adjust. There is light leaking out from underneath the remote, surrounding it with a faint reflected glow, making it just barely visible in the darkness. Clever, he thinks, and resumes following it.

The tunnel is neither straight nor level; he guesses he is being led to another floor, lower in the tower. The tunnel is also not a single tunnel; there are branches leading off of it. They pass other doors, including one that he can feel heat radiating from, and catches the scent of burning from behind; part of the tower must be on fire. He can hear Jarvis' voice speaking in the distance some times, but where he is the AI does not speak; if these tunnels are meant only for the use of its robots, he supposes it makes sense that there would be no point in placing speakers in here.

He wonders how extensive this tunnel system is, and whether it could be used to bypass the defences that exist in the public areas of the tower.

The remote finally leads him out of the tunnels. He is a large room, with industrial rubber flooring and cement walls; around the walls and in rows down the middle of the room are metal structures, with round or square bases on the floor, and metal bits in the shape of an upside-down L of varying heights rising from them. There are a handful of machines like the remote he has followed already here, each standing in one of the bases, and even as he watches the his remote stops at a round-based structure along the wall, turns in place, and drives up onto the base of it, the end of the L's arm socketing into an indentation on its side.

Jarvis' voice speaks, explaining. " _This is the storage vault for my remotes, Mr Loki. Given the nature of some of them, it is a well-guarded location, and would take considerable effort for the attackers to reach, if they're even aware of its existence. So far they do not appear to have a specific goal within the tower, apart from mayhem._ "

It gets rather boring after that; Jarvis occasionally speaks to tell him a little about the progress of the battle outside of the tower, there is still the very distant sounds of fighting, but otherwise it is quiet.


	20. Aftermath

Loki wanders the room, sniffing at the mechanical things there and feeling increasingly uneasy. The sounds of combat have become sporadic, but some of them are definitely closer, and there's been a few explosions elsewhere of enough strength to make the tower shake. He finds it hard not to growl constantly, and every time there's another loud outbreak nearby it's all he can do not to just give in and bark his head off to release some of the building tension.

The entrance to the tunnels is still closed, but there's a smell of smoke near it now; he's torn between keeping away from it, and keeping away from the door at the other end of the room, the only two points of entry.

He flops down on the floor midway between the two, wishing there was somewhere in this room to hide, but as empty as it is overall, there is no real place where he would not quickly be seen. Within minutes he jumps to his feet, lips peeling back from his teeth in a loud growl as another burst of fighting sounds from somewhere just outside the vault.

* * *

Tony flew another circuit around the tower, taking shots at robots inside of it as he spotted them, dodging their sporadic return fire; mostly Jarvis was keeping them too busy to worry about anything outside of the tower. The upper floors were looking pretty ugly, many of the windows either blown in or blown out, and there were a couple of places where explosions had knocked out a significant portion of the facade. He avoided glancing down at street level, merely hoped that the wide awnings around the tower had kept the worst of it from falling onto the sidewalks, while mentally cursing the sort of evil assholes who thought launching an attack on a skyscraper that caused bits of it to rain down on unsuspecting people below was anything like _a good idea_.

Coulson's voice warned of several of the intruders having managed to link up on the common room floor; Jarvis chimed in with the information that a separate group of them had made it into the building's stairwell, where he was currently dealing with them. If Jarvis could sound smug, he would have; so far he'd mnaged a much better kill-count on the robots – confirmed now to have nothing organic inside of them – than the rest of the Avengers do (okay, the rest of the Avengers minus Hulk, who seems to be way more muscle than the robots can handle being tackled by). As soon as the robotic nature of their attackers became clear, it freed Jarvis of a bunch of protocols that might otherwise have tied his hands – such as they were – in a fight. Jarvis, in other words, has been having a high old time getting in on the fight and delivering a world of hurt on a scale and across a range of locations that no one else on the team could possibly match.

" _Sir, there are multiple hostiles near my vault and the few of my remotes in the area that are still functional are running low on ammunition. I estimate less than five minutes remain before the vault will be compromised._ "

"Shit. Do they seem to be specifically heading for it?"

" _No sir, though I suspect I may have inadvertently drawn attention to that floor by defending it more adamantly than other areas within the tower._ "

"Ouch. Can you lead Loki somewhere else?" Tony asked, even as he tipped downwards and sped toward an opening into the maintenance level where Jarvis' remote vault was.

" _The tunnel system has been compromised by the fire on Mr Barton's level of the tower and has filled with smoke; not an issue for my remotes, but potentially harmful for Mr Loki._ "

"Got it. Fetching the dog," Tony said, and swooped into the maintenance level, dodging debris and torn up robotic bodies, and the tangled, still-sparking remains of several of Jarvis' remotes danging from the ceiling. He hit the first cluster of robots from the back, successfully disabling two of them before the third could turn and engage him. It was a tough fight after that, other robots in the area converging on him, and given the tight confines of the maintenance level's walkways, it wasn't an easy place for him to fight within.

"No more attackers remaining outside the tower," Coulson reported calmly at some point.

"Yeah, well, still a lot of them inside of it," Tony pointed out as he took out another pair of robots, then flung himself to the side as they returned fire before collapsing, swearing as the needle-gun of one chewed a hole in the upper arm of his suit, thankfully mostly missing the flesh underneath.

Finally he reached the vault door, disabling one last robot that was chasing after him before turning to face the door. Jarvis opened it for him as he flipped his visor open for a moment. "Loki!" he called out. "To me!"

The dog barrelled across the floor to him, and he dropped to one knee for a moment to pick Loki up, aware of the sounds of more robots closing in on them. "Hold on," he said before his visor slid shut again, which he only later decided was something rather silly to have said to a being who was currently without hands.

Flying without the steering aid of his hand repulsors was tricky, but was at least something he'd had a lot of practice with since building his first suit; he shot back out of the tower the way he'd come in, Loki's not unsubstantial weight cradled against his suit in his two arms, and was briefly thankful that Loki wasn't a real dog; a real dog would likely have struggled, especially when they emerged from the tower and had a whole lot of nothing under them.

Tony was still trying to figure out where he could safely set down and leave Loki, when Jarvis and Coulson reported that all hostiles within the tower appeared to be neutralized at last. SHIELD personnel were on site by then, starting cleanup down around the base of the tower. Tony allowed himself a brief look downward, cursing under his breath as he saw that, yes, at least one chunk of tower had scored a direct hit on passing traffic. He hoped – possibly fruitlessly – that whomever was in the vehicles involved had survived. The part of being a superhero and a target for unfriendly fire that he hated most, and could do the least about was this; the possibility of collateral damage to people whose only fault was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He flew back toward the tower, swooping in through one of the worst blowouts, landing in a rather thoroughly gutted room. It took him almost half a minute to realize where he was, the place was so chewed up; only the tattered remains of a large futon mattress, on fire and with the remains of at least two of the robots smouldering on top of it, clued him in. Loki's room. He flipped his visor open again, then picked his way across the room to the hallway, and from there made his way to the common room, carrying Loki still since there was no safe place to set him down. The place was a disaster area.

"Well, looks like we'll need to find new quarters for you," he said to Loki. "Where's the nearest undamaged peeler, Jarvis?" He'd already seen that the outside peeling dock on his own level was going to need to be fixed; the Hulk apparently had a bit of an altercation on it with a group of the robots, and Jarvis had deployed the peeler's arms in ways they weren't designed for to help out with the fight. Likely some of the damage was due to 'friendly fire' – Hulk's friend versus foe decision-making could get a little hazy in the heat of battle, and he hadn't worked directly with Jarvis (or Jarvis' extensions) in a fight before.

" _The peeler on this level is also incapacitated, sir. You'll need to go down to your lab. The fire on Mr Barton's level is out now but I would recommend not taking the stairwell at this point in time._ "

"Right," Tony said, and flew out of the building again, dropping down past the residential levels to the lab levels, flying in via the suit entrance to the wide hallway that doubled as an elevator lobby. Nothing had broken into here, he was pleased to see, and set Loki down at last. "Stay," he ordered him, and ducked into the lab long enough to let Jarvis get him back out of his suit. He slapped antiseptic and bandages on anywhere he was bleeding, swearing as he wrapped gauze around his upper arm to take care of the bit where a stream of needles had chewed a shallow gouge in his flesh, the worst of the injuries he'd taken today. He threw his current tshirt into a locker, replacing it with a long-sleeved top to hide the bandage, then grabbed a bottle of mineral water out of the fridge on his way back out, popping the top and sucking half of it back right away; long sessions in the suit tended to leave him feeling dehydrated.

"Stick close to me," Tony ordered Loki once he reached the hallway. Most of the tower was still in lock-down, and he preferred to not use the elevators until he was sure they're safe anyway, so they took the stairs down, stepping over and around the few now-incapacitated robots that had made it this far, as Tony led the way to one of his control stations in the maintenance levels of the tower. In truth he could do almost anything non-physical that needed doing in the tower from anywhere that gave him access to Jarvis, including via StarkPhone in a pinch, but the stations were specifically set up with useful things like a comfortable chair, plentiful monitors and his preferred extended keyboard layout, as well as, yes, a coffee maker, a small freezer of snacks, and a combination microwave-toaster-convection-oven thing that Pepper kept telling him he should look into producing commercially, since it had most of the benefits of all of the above and few of their drawbacks. He grabbed a large meat-lover's pizza and a vacuum-sealed canister of pre-ground coffee beans out of the freezer, and started the pizza heating and some coffee brewing before finally throwing himself down in the chair, finishing off his water as he scanned over the screenfuls of data that Jarvis already had up, and started the process of getting the tower out of lockdown and back to normal operations, at least down on the undamaged floors.

"Talk to me, Jarvis," he muttered, and then got lost in doing all the things that needed to be done in the wake of the robot attack, not even aware of Loki curled up on the floor nearby until the god caught Tony's hand in his teeth and drew his attention to the fact that the pizza and coffee were both going cold.

* * *

It was interesting watching Tony at work. His focus on the tasks at hand would be admirable, did it not mean that he was ignoring such things as sustenance; it has been a long time since breakfast, and thanks to the attack Loki never had any lunch today. His body is feeling increasingly hungry, and even a little shaky now that everything is over. It is also flooding him with desires he finds hard to ignore, wanting physical comforting, wanting verbal reassurance, wanting to stay close to the man seated nearby. He has given in to the desires as far as curling up near Tony's chair, trying to ignore how _safe_ the nearness makes him feel. Trying to forget the fear mixed with anger he felt earlier, hearing fighting just outside the door of the room he'd been hiding in, the surge of relief and joy when the door opened to reveal Tony, calling him over. He tells himself it is just the animal's feelings he is remembering, none of his own.

His stomach growled again, mouth watering from the smell of the food nearby. Loki finally gave up and put his forepaws on Stark's leg, catching one of his hands in his mouth and physically pulled it away from the keyboard, looking pointedly in the direction of the glass-fronted box with the cooked pizza sitting cooling inside of it once he has Tony's attention.

"Oh, whoops... right, food. One minute, Coulson," Tony said, and rose to his feet, yanking the pizza out of the oven and setting it down within reach of his chair, adding cream and sugar directly to the coffee carafe and setting that and a mug down by the other side of his keyboard. Tony looks at the coffee pot, then down at Loki. "Right. Water for you," he says, and dug in the cabinet, finding a bowl to fill with water from the tiny sink before setting it down on the floor. He finds a couple of plates as well, then flings himself back down in the chair, leaning forward to tear wedges off of the pizza, placing one plate full down on the floor for Loki, then slumping back in his chair, chewing hungrily at the other. "I'm back. Go on," Tony tells the face on the monitor, mouth still full of food, and listens attentively as the man resumes speaking.

Loki drinks some of the water and wolfs down the portion of pizza he's been dealt before drinking more. He is still hungry afterwards. Tony is talking to another head now, some dark-haired female Loki doesn't recognize, a half-eaten wedge of pizza being waved around in one hand as he talks about things like _liability_ and _compensation_ , and _making things right_. Loki edges closer, then rests his chin on Tony's knee and stares hopefully at the pizza. Tony eventually notices him, and gives him a distracted smile, before holding the pizza down where Loki can get at it. When it is finished, Tony leans forward and grabs two more slices, nibbling on one and hand-feeding the other to Loki.

Loki realizes after a while that the head has changed again, and that this latest person is staring at him. He turns his head and stares back, unable to suppress a deep growl when he sees that it is a one-eyed man. Not Odin, of course, but Fury, the director of SHIELD, whom he encountered the year before.

"Cut it out, Loki," Tony says. "No growling at strange men, even if they are yelling at me. Good boy. Have more pizza," he adds, and Loki is certain that he hears approval in Tony's voice at his having growled. He suspects that the additional pizza is being given to him both as a reward, and because it annoys the watching man for Tony to be paying attention to Loki instead of him. Loki remains silent, continuing to eat the rest of his slice, and Tony's crust as well, while keeping his eyes focused intently on Fury. He is delighted to see that his stare makes the man uneasy, makes him keep sneaking glances in Loki's direction. He purposefully squirms a little, once the pizza is done, until Tony starts absentmindedly scratching his ears, which makes the man frown even more. Eventually the man's face goes away, replaced by that of the woman who visited here before, the one that Jarvis called Ms Potts, and whom Tony calls Pepper in a tone of voice that gives away a lot more than Tony is likely aware of.

"Tony, everything's under control now. Go do something more useful than trying to single-handedly run all of the cleanup yourself; we have people for that, remember? Bruce tells me he has a couple of the robots in your lab already – go play with him or something, okay?"

Tony smiled fondly at her. "Yes, Pepper," he agrees.

"And get to bed at a decent time tonight. Jarvis will be calling me if you try to stay up beyond midnight, and I will be _very_ unhappy if he's calling me at nine my time to let me know you need me to call and tell you to go to bed. Understand?"

"Yes, Pepper."

"And don't you 'yes, Pepper' me, young man," she says, grinning a little.

Tony grins back. "Yes, Ms Potts."

"Better, Mr Stark," she says primly, and goes away. Tony bounces to his feet, cleaning away the mess from the coffee and pizza, then heads back upstairs again, by elevator this time, Loki staying quietly at heel the whole way. He is delighted when Tony walks right into his lab without commanding Loki to remain in the hallway this time; he is very curious to see the place.

Dr Banner is standing by a table at one end of the large, equipment-filled room, looking thoughtfully at a partially-destroyed robot spread out on it. He glances up, and frowns when he sees Loki. "You allowing him in here?" he asks cautiously.

Tony glances down. "Oh. Right. Yeah, why not. Loki, go sit on the couch for now. Bark if you need anything. Stay away from everything else in here unless told otherwise."

* * *

Loki turned away and trotted over to the couch in one corner of the room, jumping up on it and stretching out with his head resting on his forepaws, watching as Bruce and Tony examine and then begin disassembling the robot, talking back and forth about power supply, flight capability, magazine size, needle guns, flechets, optical targeting systems, and a wide range of other topics that meant little to Loki.

Steve came in eventually with food – several bags full of Chinese takeout – and all of them sit together on the couch eating it, Steve telling them what SHIELD has learned about the likely source of the robots so far – some madman who goes by the name of Dr Doom – and Tony and Bruce enthusing over the things they think are most interesting about the robots (little) and disparaging all their flaws (a very long list).

"I might steal part of the design of the wrist-mounted needle gun unit for the suit, though I've got better ideas than simple metal needles for it to shoot. Like miniature versions of Barton's exploding arrowheads, except instead of being electronically activated I'd go for some contact-based mixing of the two reagents. Hits something, the impact shatters it, the reagents mix, boom. Not as controlled a reaction as his arrowheads have, nor anything like as big an explosion, but mix those in with the standard metal needles and it'd chew the hell out of whatever it hit. The trick will be making something that can survive being shot out the gun without breaking prematurely, since that would be kind of bad."

Steve just looked thoughtful, and shoveled more noodles into his mouth. Bruce looked thoughtful too. "Might be interesting to try," he agreed after a while.

Steve stayed after the meal, puttering around cleaning up from their meal and tidying up the detritus of forgotten coffee mugs and plates with dried-on food and so on around the lab. Eventually he sat down on the couch beside Loki with one of his sketchpads and a set of pencils, settling back comfortably in the seat and spending a couple of hours just sketching Tony and Bruce at work, plus a study of Loki which he showed to him after it was done, before finally wandering off again. Bruce left an hour or so later. Eventually Jarvis started reminding Tony of his promise to Ms Potts, which Tony didn't respond to at all, obviously pretending not to hear.

" _Calling Ms Potts now, sir,_ " the AI eventually said.

Tony looked up, stricken. "You didn't just say that!" he exclaimed. "Tattle-tale!"

He dropped his tools and hurried toward the door.

"Tony – _go the fuck to bed_ ," Pepper's voice growled out of Jarvis' speakers.

"Yes, Pepper! On the way now!" Tony called back over his shoulder as he raced out of the room, Loki grinning with amusement as he followed.

Tony seemed to have forgotten his presence again, not even noticing when Loki followed him off of the elevator and into his quarters – where there was some damage visible in the living area, it being one of the places the robots had broken into – and then on upstairs into his undamaged bedroom. Tony stumbled into the bathroom, muttering to himself, and Loki stretched out on the floor by the door into it, listening to the sounds of Tony showering and brushing his teeth and whatever other arcane rituals Tony went through before bed.

When Tony finally emerged in a cloud of scented steam, his hair still damp and dressed in a pair of red jersey sleep pants, he was already looking more than half-sleep. He stumbled across to the floor directly to the bed before throwing himself face-down on top of it. Loki stared, and snorted in amusement when Tony started snoring almost immediately.

He realized after a while that he was in need of sleep also, and while he could have remained on the floor, or moved to the rug, he decided he might as well sleep in relative comfort too. He jumped up on the foot of the bed, curling up and dropping off to sleep almost as quickly as Tony had.

* * *

Tony woke, bladder demanding to be emptied _now_. He stumbled into the bathroom, took care of that, and was halfway back to the bed before he realized there was someone already in it. On it. Whatever. A familiar someone, with an impossibly long and lanky body and tousled black hair, curled up at the foot of it and snoring softly. Only then did he realize he hadn't thought of any new place for Loki to sleep, with the common level all but gutted, and that the only locational instructions he'd giving him since retrieving him were to stick close, and to stay on the couch and away from everything else while in the lab. It wasn't Loki's fault that he's in here, in Tony's own bedroom, though Tony suspected it was the damn dog's...god's... fault that he's actually up on Tony's own bed.

"Six impossible things before breakfast," he mumbled, decided he was too tired out from the long fight and even longer cleanup the day before to think about it any further now, and continued on to bed, this time crawling under the sheets before conking out again. He just hoped Loki would be polite enough to not turn into something nightmarish overnight.


	21. A Familiar Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With NaNoWriMo this month, updating on this may slow for a while (mind you I seem to say that almost every year and it rarely actually happens). We'll see how things go :)
> 
> Also, just wanted to say I'm rather floored by the response this story is getting so far (I come from a rather smaller fandom, and this has already well exceeded the kudos and comments my most well-received work in my main fandom has ever garnered). Thanks to all of your for making me smile so much since I started this.
> 
> And, if any of you are curious, yes I do [have a tumblr](http://msbarrows.tumblr.com/), though it's still mostly focused on Dragon Age, with a side order of Sleepy Hollow, Avengers, Apocalyptica, and random stuff.

Tony was confused for a moment on waking by the feeling of a weight holding down his ankles. He craned his head, squinting at the foot of the bed, and saw that there was a dog lying with its head resting on his legs; no longer an elkhound, but a slightly bigger dog with a similar build, and similar shading of black-tipped hairs over a creamy white base, its eyes as it peered back at him a startlingly pale blue.

"Husky?" he asked, voice rough from sleep.

" _No, though your guess is quite close, sir – an Alaskan Malemute, I believe._ "

"Right," Tony said, sighed, and climbed out of bed, feeling every sore spot from yesterday's battle. Jarvis started running through his normal morning rundown and then segued into the damage reports while Tony went into the bathroom, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and changed the dressings on his injuries. Most of them were scabbed over nicely enough to just need a bit of gauze taped over them to protect them from rubbing against his clothes, but the gouge on his upper arm was still pretty ugly looking, and he had to soak the bandage free before being able to clean and redress it. Tony cursed a little, at a combination of the pain of changing the awkwardly placed bandage and hearing just how much damage had been done to the worst-hit areas of the tower. The common floor was going to need a near-complete rebuild, though thankfully the hanger for the quinjet and the peeler adjacent to it had taken little harm and that mostly cosmetic, at least compared to the remainder of the floor anyway.

He went back to his bedroom, and changed into jeans and a short-sleeved tshirt over a long-sleeved shirt, still hiding the bandage, since someone would pester him about it otherwise. It was only when he was checking in the mirror to make sure that he'd succeeded in taming the bedhead that he even remembered that Loki-the-wonder-dog was still there, and had been a witness to his changing clothes. Doubtless ending up with an eye-full of Tony's naked butt in between the sleep pants going off and the boxers going on. Oops. Well, fair's fair, he supposed, and it wasn't like he hadn't seen Loki's naked tush a time or three by now. Not that he'd looked on purpose or anything.

" _Ms Romanov's floor was largely unscathed in the attack and she has invited all Avengers to join her for breakfast there. She had said to say that she is making blintzes._ "

"Sweet, on my way," Tony said, and headed down to Natasha's floor, Loki following along at heel.

Her kitchen was tiny compared to the common room's now-destroyed one, so everyone was gathering in her not-entirely-unscathed living room while she cooked, Clint sitting at the kitchen table in her equally small eating area while he chopped fillings for blintzes; the public areas of the personnel quarters on each floor were set up more for intimate gatherings with just one or two close friends than for entertaining groups, so it was going to be a snug fit to have them all there. Tony watched with barely-concealed amusement as Loki made the rounds of the room, everyone scratching or petting him with varying degrees of awareness; they were clearly all getting pretty used to him being there as a dog.

"So, rebuilding," Tony said as he made himself comfortable on the couch between Steve and Bruce. "Steve, Clint, your floors took enough damage that they're pretty much going to need to be gutted and then rebuilt from scratch, let me know if you have any requests in terms of room layout or finishes, Jarvis will speak to you about furnishings once we're that far along. Our common floor is going to need a complete-rebuild as well, any of you who have suggestions for things you'd like to see – yes, Steve, I know you want a gas oven and stove – get them to me or Jarvis. In the meantime until it's rebuilt everyone is invited to make use of my living room and rec room as a common room slash entertainment room, it's not like I use it myself most of the time anyway." There was an unspoken 'since Pepper left' on that statement, since the times he had made use of it, instead of hanging out in the common room with everyone else after they'd all moved in, had pretty much all involved Pepper's company in one way or another.

"More fun hanging out with all of us fine folks," Clint called from the kitchen.

Tony grinned at him. "Maaaybe. Also, a big chunk of the shooting gallery level got taken out. So ditto letting me or Jarvis know about any suggestions or requests you have for there, too. Clint, you wanted some better moving targets, didn't you? Or was that just for the rumpus room?"

Clint shrugged. "Both, preferably, if you're having to rebuild the ranges anyway. Even with you mixing things up in the rumpus room every now and then, it's getting too easy to predict the way the bots will move. They need a new rule set or something."

"Can do," Tony said, pleased. The rumpus room was a three story tall obstacle course/urban fighting area further down the tower, occupying the same five-story chunk of floors as their workout level and shooting-range level. Jarvis had a bunch of paintball gun equipped humanoid robots he could run around in it to simulate enemies, and once a week Jarvis would set up and run a staged exercise for them within the space; recovering a hostage from kidnappers or infiltrating an enemy base and all that sort of thing. Everyone chipped in with ideas and suggestions for scenarios, and Jarvis consulted with Coulson and Steve on putting them together. Tony suspected that Natasha might be the brains behind some of the nastier surprises that sometimes appeared in there.

" _Agent Coulson has accepted your invitation to breakfast and should be up shortly, Ms Romanov,_ " Jarvis announced. That got everyone's attention; Coulson had quarters of his own much further down in the tower, hidden away in the office levels, but he rarely left them apart from infrequent trips to SHIELD headquarters when absolutely necessary. The times they'd managed to lure him out to come upstairs and visit for a while were uncommon, and only Clint and Natasha had standing permission from him to visit him in his own rooms downstairs. He'd always been a secretive man; since the Avengers had pried him out of SHIELD's care following his recovery from his near-death experience at Loki's hands, he'd become even quieter. It had taken a lot of fast talking on Tony's part and insistence by Clint, Natasha and Steve to convince him that he was still a valued and useful member of their team; if there was one thing Tony might suspect was going to be a good side-effect of yesterday's attack, it would be how beautifully it had demonstrated Phil's continued usefulness to them, now that he was essentially desk-bound.

By the time the elevator opened and Phil's chair rolled out, they'd already cleared a place for him in the living room. He was looking a lot better then he had the last time Tony had seen him; skin lightly tanned instead of sickroom pale, dressed in tailored grey suit pants and a crisp white shirt and with thin blue stripes instead of a baggy SHIELD-logo tshirt and sweats, actually smiling for once as he steered his chair into place near the couch. He looked pleased as they made him welcome, Natasha popping out of the kitchen long enough to lean down and kiss his temple before dashing back to her frying pans, Clint just grinning and winking at him from where he was still busy dicing a pear at the kitchen table.

Only once they'd all resumed their places did Phil finally turn his attention to Loki. The dog was standing stiffly at the far end of the room, near where plastic sheeting covered a hole blown through the windows. Phil looked him over thoughtfully, then held out his hand a little. "Loki," he said.

Loki stared for a moment longer, then walked slowly over to him, stiff-legged, stopping some distance away and then edging gradually forward to sniff cautiously at Phil's hand, his eyes glued to Phil's at first. He dropped his gaze to look at the wheelchair, brow furrowing and ears going back a little, then looked back up at Phil.

Phil smiled crookedly, pulling back his hand and running it briefly along the armrest. "Not the sort of thing you have in Asgard, from what Thor's told me. But our doctors here can't do much about a damaged spine," he said, his voice as calm as it ever was. "I'm lucky to be alive."

Tony knew there'd been a time when Phil wouldn't have meant those words. He'd gone through a pretty rough time on first waking up out of a coma some months after the Battle of New York, upon discovering he was now a paraplegic and would likely be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. It was only after they'd pretty much kidnapped him from SHIELD a few months ago, that determined to get him to the tower and back on their team, that he'd started to turn around; he hadn't wanted to believe at first that he had any use beyond his ability to kill a man with random office supplies if necessary. They'd gradually been proving to him that his sharp eyes and sharper mind were still of value to them; he might not be up to field work any more, but Agent Phil Coulson was still their handler, as far as the Avengers were concerned.

And even Tony, who still usually maintained the pretence that he didn't particularly care about Coulson, whose first name was Agent, was secretly happy to see the warm look in Phil's eyes when Clint shouted from the next room a few minutes later that Phil had better get in there and help with blintz assembly, or Natasha would kill them both in their sleep with dental floss.

* * *

Loki was startled to see the man who arrived in a wheeled chair. He'd killed that man, personally, been injured by him in turn; not greatly injured, but given how few humans apart from the beast had even been able to scratch his skin, he remembered this man very well. And, all right, yes, the man had technically not been quite dead yet when Loki had left, but he knew how much damage he'd done to the mortal's frail body; he should not have survived more than a handful of minutes longer.

And yet, here he was, still alive, though clearly still damaged by his encounter with Loki; the lower half of his body near-lifeless, though blood still flowed through it, the tissues alive but no longer the brain's to control. In Asgard such an injury could be healed, granted with some effort, but the crude medicine of the humans was clearly unable to mend such damage. Yet despite the injuries he had suffered at Loki's hands, the man gave him much the same unperturbed look as he'd had when he'd confronted Loki over a year before, smiled the same oddly amused little smile, held out one hand and called Loki's name.

A call Loki answered, though reluctantly, feeling more and more disturbed the closer he came to the man, filled with an uneasy feeling, expecting... he wasn't sure what. A sudden show of anger? Disapproval? Punishment? Nothing happened, even when he sniffed cautiously at the man's hand, save a slight increase in the man's amusement at his presence. The man spoke directly to him, just once, then turned his attention elsewhere. Loki retreated to the far end of the room, sitting and watching the Avengers silently, looking from face to face as they spoke with the man. They treasured his presence among them, Loki could see, all of them smiling warmly at him, the tone of their voices betraying the warmth of their feeling toward him.

It made Loki feel even more uneasy, more aware of what an unwanted part of their group he was, here only because of his brother, not because of any wish of theirs.

The man moved his chair again, rolling out of Loki's sight into the kitchen. Tony glanced around, his eyes meeting Loki's, and to his surprise the smile on Tony's face didn't falter; Tony held out one hand, snapped his fingers. Loki rose back to his feet, walking slowly back over to him, forcing himself to remain upright when the body wanted to slink with its tail lowered. Fingers dug soothingly into the fur around the base of his ears. After a moment he shifted a little closer, resting his chin on Tony's knee, and sighed.

Everyone ate gathered together in the living room, the humans eating their blintzes off of small plates while Loki was served a large bowl full of some kind of cooked cracked grain that had been mixed with soft-boiled eggs, all stirred together so the grains were coated and stuck together with bits of egg. He carefully lapped up a taste of it, unsure whether or not he'd like it, and found it quite tasty, though difficult to eat neatly. He was still trying to lick stray grains off of his muzzle when Steve leaned over and offered him a blintz, without Loki having made any effort to charm one from his this time. It didn't look like anyone else was going to give him any, and then Tony cut his last blintz in two with the side of his fork and held half of it out to Loki. He took it delicately from Tony's fingers, not snapping at it, and one side of Tony's mouth curled up in a slight smile, fine lines appearing at the corners of his eyes, a warm expression filling them.

It made him fell... odd. He did his best to ignore the feeling, and stretched out on the floor, his nose almost touching Tony's feet, waiting patiently for the Avengers to end their talk and get on to more interesting things.

* * *

Tony was taking a seat at the workbench in his lab before he realized that Loki was still following him around. Loki had already stretched out on the couch, taking up a noticeable few inches more space than he had the day before, and Tony decided there wasn't any reason to send him elsewhere; it wasn't like he was going to be working on anything secret today, he was just planning out the repairs and renovations to the damaged floors of the tower. Pepper had already arranged for crews from a contractor they'd worked with before to come in and begin the clean-up, as well as tackling the simplest repairs such as replacing broken windows and repairing damaged walls and flooring in the more lightly affected areas. Tony hoped to have plans ready to begin renovations on the more heavily damaged areas ready by the coming Monday, though it would likely mean working through the weekend.

He lost himself in his work for a while, and was startled when Loki showed up at his side, rearing up like the had the previous day to take one of Tony's hands in his mouth and physically pull it away from the drafting tablet. He stared at Loki for a moment, then blinked at the clock, and saw it was almost mid-afternoon already. "Fuck... that late? I guess you're hungry. I guess I should be hungry too," he said. Loki snorted, and dropped back to all four feet, looking expectantly up at Tony.

"Okay, late lunch for you and me," Tony said, and rose to his feet. "Let's go out for something. Should we walk or... no, wait, I guess all your leashes bit the bullet yesterday. Tell you what, we'll drive, and get takeout somewhere."

He led the way to the elevator and down, studying Loki thoughtfully as it descended to the garage, watching the way Loki sat quietly beside his feet, eyes glued on the numerical floor indicators. It had kind of surprised him a little this morning to find that Loki was still sticking with the dog form; maybe Bruce was right and Loki was finding the attention he got as a dog enjoyable, on a level that was avoiding triggering his usual anti-social defences. Maybe the positive reinforcement they'd all been trying to keep in mind was actually working.

He drove to a place in Jersey he knew of that did good burgers, one not too far from a place with a moderately scenic view of the ocean where they could sit in the car and eat. He alternated bites of his own cheeseburger-with-the-works with unwrapping the plain hamburgers he'd ordered for Loki, tearing them in half before setting them down in front of him. They share the thick-cut fries that had come with the burgers, though Loki turned his nose up at the onions rings that Tony had also ordered. Loki watched him attentively, both of them remaining silent over the course of the meal, studying each other.

Loki seemed so dog-like at times that it would be easy to forget there was a human intellect inside that furry skull, were it not for the times when he was definitely not dog-like at all. Such as the way he was currently looking at Tony; the facial expressions, the way the ears twitched back or swiveled forwards, the way his head tilted to one side, those were all the way a dog would move, but there was something in the eyes that belied the animal form. An intelligence, a curiosity, a level of self-aware thought that no dog Tony had ever seen before had possessed.

When he hesitantly reached out to scratch at the dog's head again, even the way Loki looked at his hand and visibly decided to allow it was dog-like, the way he leaned into the touch, the way his eyes half-lidded, his ears twitching forwards again, _everything_ , but the expression in his eyes was not.

"I'm kind of surprised you allow this," Tony suddenly admitted. "You haven't exactly struck me as a touchy-feely type before this, and then there's the whole hostility to us lesser beings schtick you had going on. I'd have more expected you to snap my hand off than allow me to scratch your ears. Or pet your neck... can I pet you? Is that allowed? You have really pettable fur at the moment you know," he said, and experimentally ran one hand down Loki's neck, repeating the motion a few times. Loki stiffened a little, but didn't growl. Tony decided not to push it, and after a few strokes started digging his fingers into the fur around the base of Loki's neck and shoulders in a massaging motion. Loki remained stiff at first, then suddenly huffed out air and lowered his head to rest on the seat, going limp.

Tony smiled. "You like that," he said. Loki lifted his lip and growled slightly, but remained relaxed. Tony's smile widened to a grin. "I promise not to tell anyway, but you do like that, don't you?" he said, and then sighed, leaning his head against the back of his seat. "I've always liked a good massage. The trick is finding someone good at them who's willing to give them to me. Without it being sleazy, though there was a time I'd have happily taken even a sleazy massage. And then Pepper happened to me. Supposedly I'm a reformed character now, just... not reformed enough, I suppose. Pepper doesn't give me massages any more. The last good massage I had was from a physical therapist built like a bulldog. Nice woman, very good hands too, but... she was no Pepper."

He sighed, fell silent again, and for a while just sat there watching the ocean, fingers slowing and then stilling, lost in memories. It was only when he realized how cold the day was getting, the chill penetrating the car, that he realized how long the two of them had been sitting there. He finally sat up straight again, cleaned up all the bits of waxed paper and cardboard from their meal, stuffing it all into the takeout bag, then drove back to the Tower.

"Where is everyone, Jarvis?" he asked as they rode the elevator up.

" _Mr Barton is visiting Agent Coulson. Dr Banner is working in his lab. Captain Rogers and Ms Romanov are watching a movie in your quarters, and have ordered in pizza for dinner._ "

"Enough for me?"

" _Enough for everyone, sir._ "

"Excellent. What are they watching?"

" _Willow is just ending, after which they plan to watch Legend._ "

"Ooo, with more floaty bits of organic fluff and glued-on glitter than any sane person should be exposed to. Count me in on that."

" _Of course, sir._ "


	22. Glitter and Fluff

Princess Lili had saved the unicorn, Darkness had been banished, Jack had saved Lili in an overwrought slo-mo sequence with glitter, and the movie had ended with a swelling 80s orchestral soundtrack, more slo-mo, and enough organic fluff floating around to set off the hayfever of anyone within a five-mile radius. Mass quantities of both pizza and popcorn had been consumed, and everyone was smiling. Another successful movie night, in other words.

"Anything with Tim Curry in it is automatically good," Tony said with some satisfaction as everyone got up from their seats.

"I don't think I can entirely agree with that," Bruce said thoughtfully.

"Oh? Why not? Not a fan of the Rocky Horror Picture Show? Found him not deliciously evil enough in The Three Musketeers?"

"Moonacre," Bruce said firmly.

Tony hissed through his teeth. "Okay, I'll grant you that one; scads of potential, failed to hit the mark, but come on, Curry's parts in that were _awesome._ "

"I think you and I have very different ideas of what's awesome," Bruce said judiciously. "Witness your strange fascination with cheesy 80s movies."

"Hey! There's nothing strange about it! If there's anything the 80s were fantastic for – other than big hair, sequins, glitter and lamé, and the rampant overuse of synthesizers – it was the campy movies. That whole decade rocks the so-bad-it's-good genre. Also the amazingly-cheesy-yet-still-awesome genre. Which reminds me, have we exposed Steve to Time Bandits yet? Or Ladyhawke?"

Steve grinned. "I think the moment you start talking about exposing me to anything is my cue to say good-night and get out of here."

"Aww, you're no fun."

Steve continued smiling. "Good-night, Tony. Night, Bruce," he said firmly, and left with Natasha, leaning toward her to whisper something that made her laugh, before the pair vanished into the waiting elevator.

Tony frowned after them for a moment, then looked back at Bruce, who was gathering up popcorn bowls and stacking them neatly on the bar beside the empty pizza boxes. "So, Steve and Natasha – are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

Bruce paused and raised an eyebrow at Tony, then spoke in a deadpan voice, "I think so, Brain, but where would we get five thousand jars of extra hot salsa on such short notice?"

Tony laughed, hard. "Yeah, whatever... night, Pinky!"

Bruce smiled again. "Good-night, Brain," he said, and left.

Tony turned away, and saw the puzzled stare Loki the malamute was giving him, and started laughing again. "Jarvis, remind me to expose Loki and Steve to cartoon pop culture some time soon."

" _Of course, sir. Should that be soon, soonish,_ _Soon™, as soon as possible, or MoreSoonerish?_ "

"Smart ass."

" _As you have often remarked, better than being a dumb-ass, sir._ "

Tony sighed, and stood still for a moment, just enjoying how good he felt after an evening spent with his friends, a deep-seated contentment that made even things like the tower being severely damaged, _again_ , seem a comparatively minor annoyance. He stretched, arms folded over his head and back arching, then relaxed again and grinned at Loki. "Come on, Lassie, let's get back to the lab. Hey, Jarvis, what do you think of the idea of an ACME Labs sign to go over my door?"

" _I think you'd be better off replicating the facade around the door and not just the sign, if you wish it to be truly recognizable, though it may require some alterations in vertical scale, sir._ "

"Awesome. Find me some pictures of that, would you, and see what you can do in terms of drawing up a draft elevation based on them."

" _Of course, sir._ "

"Hey! That was the long-suffering voice! I thought we agreed you wouldn't use that one on me any more," Tony said aggrievedly as he led the way into the elevator.

" _Really, sir? How odd, I don't seem to have a record of any such agreement. Perhaps it has gone astray._ "

* * *

By the wee hours of Monday morning Tony had the plans for the renovations finished, and had actually gotten a reasonable amount of food and exercise over the past three days, even if still running rather short on sleep, having remained largely awake apart from a couple of brief naps. Loki had been pretty adamant about regular food, water and walkies, and while Tony could have just taken him upstairs and left him there, and trusted the others to see to it that Loki was cared for... well, he was sort of digging this whole having-a-pet-around thing now. It was kind of nice having another living being in the lab, even if said being had four feet and fur, because it made him feel slightly less crazed when he talked aloud, even if most of the actual talking was still verbal sniping with Jarvis, telling Dummy to put down the fire extinguisher, and shouting at You and Butterfingers to keep them out of things they weren't supposed to be getting into.

Having lengthy one-sided monologues with a dog who listened almost scarily well and responded with surprisingly eloquent body-language just seemed to somehow fit in nicely with all that. Tony and his Amazing Circus of Nonverbal Friends. Well, except Jarvis was pretty damned verbose when he wanted to be. Nonhuman friends maybe?

And, okay, it was also kind of nice the way that Loki would abandon the couch every now and then to come over and rest his head on Tony's knee, wanting his ears scratched or shoulders rubbed, and even the firm way he'd latch onto Tony's sleeve or hand, teeth almost-but-not-really digging into his skin, and make it clear that he wanted food and a walk _now_ , thank you very much.

Tony fired off the blueprints to Pepper for her, or rather her PA or whomever else she delegated such tasks to these days, to work their magic with in terms of seeing that the materials, construction crews and tradespeople needed all showed up at the right times to get it all done. He rose from his stool, stretching again, then stood there for a moment, blinking sleepily and trying to remember what he needed to do next. He turned and looked at Loki, who was stretched out over most of the couch, head resting on outstretched forelegs with eyes half-shut, looking about ready to sleep. Right. Sleep. That was it.

"Come on, Rin-Tin-Tin, time for food, a shower, and bed, in more or less that order. If you want a walk this morning I think someone else is going to have to take care of it."

Loki snorted, and rose to his feet, pausing for a good stretch of his own halfway through, then jumped down off the couch, shook himself, and paced over to Tony's side, looking expectantly up at him.

"Too early for anyone else to be up and cooking breakfast yet, you'll have to survive on whatever I can forage out of the fridge, or risk my cooking," Tony told Loki as they took the elevator back upstairs.

His quarters were empty and silent, dimly lit by just enough subdued indirect lighting to make the difference between darkness and a grey twilight. He checked the fridge in his kitchen, and sure enough found some leftovers there from the others having been using the place; a couple of leftover Chinese takeout containers and half a three-cheese and herbs pizza, looking dry enough around the edges that he suspected it was leftovers from that last movie night he'd attended. He tore it into smaller pieces, tossing them in a large bowl with the leftover beef broccoli, setting that and some water down for Loki. He ate the contents of the other container himself, which seemed to be a grab bag of everything else that had been leftover; steamed rice topped with both orange chicken and some sort of chewy beef strips in a spicy red pepper sauce, with steamed mixed vegetables dumped on top. Someone had already picked out all the snow peas and cashews, which he'd always thought were some of the better parts.

He was feeling pleasantly full by the time he'd finished, and increasingly sleepy as the food-coma from eating started to kick in. His fast shower almost woke him up again, despite being a relaxingly warm one, but by the time he'd changed into his sleep pants and crawled into bed, he was fading fast. "Get the blinds, Jarvis," he mumbled, watching as they automatically slid across the wall of windows and tilted shut, blocking out the view of the waking city outside.

Loki was turning circles on the rug by the bed, clearly planning to sleep as well. Tony smiled crookedly. "You can sleep up here if you want," he said, and yawned, then patted the mattress by his hip. Loki gave him a look full of distrust. Tony laughed. "Virtue's safe with me, Fido. But you can sleep wherever you want to, as long as it's within the apartment."

He closed his eyes, and lay there listening to the near-silence of the room. The mattress dipped after a minute or two, and he was just barely aware of a cold wet nose nudging at his hand. He smiled, eyes still closed, and lifted his hand enough to scratch erratically at Loki's ears, asleep before he could think of anything else to say.

* * *

Loki lay awake for a while, watching Tony sleep. The last few days had been strange; ever since the battle he hadn't really wanted to leave Tony's side. Being close to the man gave him a _safe_ feeling, one he hadn't had in far too long, not since the first time that Thor had chosen to side with one of his friends instead of his brother. He knew it was ridiculous for him to feel this way, convinced himself that it was merely a lingering side-effect of having sat so long in that cold vault, listening to the sounds of combat drawing ever-closer; a remnant of the relief he'd felt when the door had opened, and he'd seen Tony there, come to fetch him and keep him safe.

It had been nice staying close to him the last few days, sitting in the lab and watching him work, seeing how absorbed he'd get, seeing the way he reacted to and interacted with his creations, the grin he'd have when Jarvis spoke back to him in some particularly snarky-yet-polite fashion, the fond smile he turned on his mechanical contrivances when they misbehaved.

In some ways the last few days have reminded Loki in an odd fashion of the times in his youth when he'd been too busy studying magic to leave his chambers for days at a time, and of how Thor would show up unexpectedly in his study. Usually Thor would be there to try and cajole him into abandoning his studies for a while, to go riding or do some weapon's practise, or just eat a meal and spend some time in Thor's company. Other times Thor would just find a seat and stay for a while, either watching Loki silently or tending to some bit of work of his own; caring for a weapon or his armour, reading a book, even doing one of the small handicafts that always looked so improbable in his huge blunt-fingered hands.

The thought made Loki feel strange, especially since in this scenario it would be he who was Thor, watching Tony-as-Loki working away at arcane things, most of which he didn't understand, interrupting him occasionally to remind him of the existence of food and the need for exercise. He understands a little better now why Thor used to do it; there is something restful about it, of being an accepted part of the environment... something soothing about just _being there_ while Tony works. A companionable silence, something else he has not enjoyed in many long years.

The acceptance of his presence still surprises him. Not just Tony's acceptance of him, but that of the rest of the Avengers. Part of him wonders if there is some advantage over him they hope to gain by this behaviour. Perhaps they believe that treating him well will make Thor and Odin more well-disposed towards them; in that case they will be sorely disappointed, at least in the case of Odin, who thinks little of the humans and could care less about how Loki is treated. Thor... well, Thor is foolishly sentimental, but Loki cannot think of any gain they would need to seek when Thor is already so enamoured of Midgard and its inhabitants.

He felt uneasy again, and rose to his feet, stepping over Tony's legs toward the far side of the bed. Tony made a faint noise of protest as the mattress shifted under his weight. He paused, peering at the man's sprawled form, then snorted softly, turned a couple of circles, and lowered himself down again, loosely curled up behind Tony with his head pillowed on the man's side.

Perhaps it is time to consider some other form again. He is still reluctant to do so; these canine forms he has been taking are accepted by the Avengers, and as he has previously noted, they are not as on their guard around him as they might otherwise be. Surely it will not hurt to remain a dog for a while longer. Perhaps one that makes them even more likely to dismiss the thought of him being any potential danger.

Something small again, like that second dog had been, that looked comparatively harmless.

Something _fluffy_ he thinks, and grins for a moment, before finally allowing himself to drift off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious about the [MoreSoonerish](http://forum.rpg.net/archive/index.php/t-500273.html)? Not really pop culture but that post has tickled my fancy ever since Sapience made it and I've used the terms in more than one fic or tumblr post now.


	23. Burdened with Glorious Fur

Tony woke and stretched, then paused as he became aware of a something lying across his ankles again. He sat partially upright, weight on his elbows, blinking to clear the grit out of his eyes, then stared, stunned silent for a moment. A wide grin abruptly crossed his face, and he laughed, dropping flat again.

Loki gave an annoyed yap, then rose to his feet and walked up Tony's legs to stand perched on his stomach, giving the laughing man an irritated look. Tony finally managed to stop laughing and catch his breath. "A Pomeranian? _Seriously_ , Loki?" he managed to ask, then started laughing again.

The dog snorted air out through its nose, then plumped his hindquarters down and sat there glaring at Tony. Tony covered his eyes with one hand and sputtered, trying to get himself back under control. "Sorry, Toto, but the death glare really doesn't work well when you're so tiny and... and freakin' cute and fluffy, okay?"

Loki started to growl, then yelped in surprise as Tony abruptly rolled upright, effortlessly scooping the dog up in both hands as he rose. "Have you even seen yourself? You need to see yourself, right away," he said, and walked over to stand in front of the full length mirror in one corner of the room, grinning at their reflection in the mirror; himself, barefoot and dressed in red sleep pants hanging low on his hips, with some pretty serious bed-head going on, and cradled in front of him, a sharp-nosed puffball of fluffy fur in shades of apricot and cream, with darker markings on his face and the tips of his ears.

Loki went very still, just staring at his own reflection, then sneezed and whined, and licked his lips nervously. Tony smiled, still amused, and tucked Loki under one arm, one hand cupped to support his chest, scratching at the dog's chin and ears with the other hand and smiling down at him in amusement. "I gotta say, it's an interesting look on you. I'd never have picked you as the Pomeranian type," he said. "That Schipper-whatsit you were before was kind of fluffy too, but this... this is _adorable._ "

Loki growled, and snapped at Tony's hand. Tony quickly pulled it back, then glared at the dog and shook one finger at him. "Hey! None of that. I'll send out for a dog-crate and order you to stay in it if I have to."

Loki stared at him silently for a long moment, but the look on Tony's face didn't waver. Finally Loki gave in, ears dropping slightly and looking away from Tony. Tony gently brushed his hand over Loki's head again. "I'll try not to laugh at you, no one likes being laughed at, but come on, look at yourself... it's pretty amusing, isn't it? Loki, Prince of Asgard... burdened with glorious fur."

Loki growled a little again, giving Tony another ears-back look, but refrained from snapping that time, which Tony decided was good enough. He put the dog back down on the floor, then started digging out his clothing for the day. "Where is everyone, Jarvis?"

" _Agent Coulson and Mr Barton are at SHIELD Headquarters this morning. Dr Banner has gone out for breakfast, and Ms Romanov is still in her quarters. Captain Rogers is in your kitchen cooking breakfast for three._ "

"Sweet," Tony said, and hurriedly pulled on clean underwear, socks, and blue jeans, then ducked into the washroom long enough to change the dressing on his arm again, frowning at the gouge. It had scabbed over reasonably well and partially healed over the last couple of days while he was holed up in his lab, but part of it was tender to the touch still, the skin reddened around it. Maybe he should have Bruce take a look at it later. For now he smeared it with more antiseptic cream and wrapped it with a fresh length of gauze, then returned to his room and pulled on a long-sleeved red silk shirt and black sneakers before heading downstairs to his kitchen, Loki trotting along at heel.

He could smell breakfast even before he reached the bottom of the stairs, something involving eggs, onions, bacon, and toast. "Morning, Steve," he called as he crossed the living room and leaned into his kitchen. It wasn't as big as the one off of the common room had been, but it was larger and more well-appointed then the ones on the personal floors of the other Avengers.

Steve looked up from where he was stirring a big pan full of scrambled eggs and smiled warmly back at him. "Morning, Tony," he said, and then his eyes dropped and widened slightly as he caught sight of Loki. "Holy cow."

Tony grinned. "Not too far off my own reaction," he said. "I should warn you though, he's not amused by our amusement."

Steve smiled. "I can understand that," he said, then turned back to his frying pan. "Jarvis, tell Natasha she better be here in two more minutes or her eggs will be getting cold."

" _Ms Romanov is already in the elevator on her way up, Steve._ "

"Excellent. You mind starting the coffee drip, Tony? It's all set up already."

"Of course," Tony said, sliding past him to get to the far end of the counter and hitting the switch. As the maker began gurgling, Tony got out mugs, plates and cutlery and started setting the table. Natasha swept into the kitchen, and paused in the doorway to smile at Steve and Tony. "I do like mornings like this," she said. "A pair of handsome men hurrying to serve me."

Tony laughed. "Just don't count on it as a regular thing, I'm not the servile type."

Natasha smiled. "No, you're pretty far from that, Stark," she agreed, then came to an abrupt stop, staring downwards. "Is that...?"

"Loki? Yes. Fluffy, isn't he?"

Natasha grinned, looking delighted, then went down on one knee, holding out her hand and actually _cooing_ in Russian. Loki immediately trotted over to her, claws tic-tacing across the floor, and nuzzled at her hand. Natasha scratched his ears briefly before rising back to her feet, then pointed her finger down at him. "Use your cuteness for evil, Loki, and you and I will have _words_ ," she told him, which made Tony cackle and Steve grin.

They were soon all settled down to eat, the three Avengers at the table, while Loki had a plateful of the same food on the floor, the toast cut up into bite-size bits.

"Dibs on walking Loki," Steve said before biting into a strip of bacon, one eyebrow lifting slightly.

"No fair, I was looking forward to doing that," Tony said, pouting slightly.

"As loathe as I am to dissuade you from any form of exercise, Tony, you've had him since before the attack," Natasha pointed out. "Let others take a turn."

"I exercise!"

"Not enough, and not lately," Steve said, and frowned at him. "Tell you what, if you're so enthusiastic about walking him, you can join him and me both on my run later."

"Errr... no, no. I think I'm good. You go ahead and enjoy your run. Masochist."

"In that case you should go work out in the gym for a while instead," Steve said, then glanced at Natasha. "Let me know if he doesn't."

"Since when are you the boss of me, Steve?"

"Since all of you decided I was the team leader. You're going to get flabby if you don't work out more. Now, you can spend an hour in the gym doing exercise, or come on a run with me, or I'll have to explain to Pepper that you're sliding on the physical fitness part of your role with the Avengers."

"Ow! Low blow. Okay, _fine_ , an hour in the gym."

"An hour in the gym _exercising_ ," Steve stressed.

"Are you hinting that I'd weasel-word my way out of exercising? Steve! I am shocked, shocked I tell you!"

Steve grinned crookedly. "Like I didn't have enough experience with rules lawyers back in the army. Exercise for an hour, Stark, or you'll be sparring with me for a couple hours when I get back. Which neither of us will be happy about, since I have plans for later."

Tony snorted, then resumed eating his breakfast. "I sometimes question why I let all of you move in with me. So pushy."

Natasha glanced up, and smiled. "We like you too, Tony."

"Yeah, we do," Steve agreed, smiling at him as well.

"Gah, are you trying to put me off my breakfast? Bunch of Pollyannas... no, worse, you're all Care-Bears. Don't trying convincing me of the power of warm hugs or anything like that though, or I swear I'll go to the dark side and help Wizard No Heart here to defeat you all," he said, gesturing at Loki with his fork.

"Wizard No Heart?" Steve asked, confused.

"The villain from some old children's cartoon that I can see I'll need to make you watch an episode or two of," Tony told him. "Could change into different animals and was interested in world domination."

Steve and Natasha both looked down at Loki, who looked back with lifted ears.

"It fits," Natasha agreed with a small shrug, then looked at Tony. "Try not to disappear back into your lab as soon as breakfast is over, Pepper called to say there's a courier coming over with more papers for you to sign this morning and that if they're not signed by noon she will be very, very disappointed."

"What? Why is she calling you about it? You're not my PA any more. Or my Mom."

"Because they're important enough that she's delegated me to twist your arm behind your back if you try and weasel out of signing them, Stark. Though if it comes to me having to get physical with you for you to sign them, I promise you it will involve something much, much worse than merely twisting your arm. Understand?"

"Err... right. I'll just... just go watch TV until the papers show up, yes? And then sign everything like a good little boy."

"A wise choice," Natasha said calmly. "Jarvis, be a dear and let me know when the courier arrives, will you?"

" _Of course, Ms Romanov._ "

* * *

Loki waited patiently while Steve found a collar that would fit Loki – several of them having apparently been salvaged from the rubble on the common level – and changed into his jogging suit and runners, before leading the way down out of the building. They walked north to Central Park, where Steve stopped and did some warm-up stretches before beginning his run.

Loki had to admit he enjoyed going running with Steve. He'd never much cared for physical pursuits, certainly not the sort of intense workouts that Thor and the other warriors of Asgard regularly indulged in, but he'd always kept himself in shape, and these canine forms certainly enjoyed running. The instinct for it seemed stronger in some forms than in others – the first dog form he'd taken had felt like it _lived_ for running, when it wasn't sprawled out somewhere resting – but in all forms it was enjoyable. Though keeping up with Steve's long legs was harder in some forms than in others, and particularly difficult in this tiny shape. By the time Steve slowed to take his first walking break, Loki was already out of breath with the effort of maintaining pace with him.

Steve frowned down at him in concern, then came to a stop and crouched down, rubbing his hand soothing across Loki's head and down his back. "Sorry, I should have realized... I'll run a little slower on the next lap, okay?"

Loki sneezed, then licked once at his hand. Steve smiled, and patted Loki's head again before standing up and continuing. Loki shook his fur out, and trotted along at heel, trying not to feel ridiculously pleased about Steve's friendliness with him. It was hard; this form _wanted_ people to like it. Besides, it surely doesn't mean anything special; Steve is friendly with everyone, nodding or calling out in greeting to the other joggers that he's used to seeing at this hour, even stopping once or twice to exchange words with ones he's especially friendly with. Loki growled and switched ends a couple of times as the dog of one makes a particularly strong effort to stick its nose in places Loki feels are none of its business. He had begun considering whether he was going to have to bite the other dog to drive it away when Steve scooped him up and held him, well above reach of the invasive hound.

"Sorry," Steve said to the dog's owner. "He doesn't play well with others."

She smiled warmly up at Steve. "That's all right. He's a gorgeous little thing; what's his name?"

"Uh, Loki."

She looked surprised. "Isn't that the same name as that borzoi you had a couple weeks ago?"

"Yeah, it was... weird coincidence, huh?"

She smiled again. "I dunno, some dog owners are remarkably uninventive. I run into dogs with the same names all the time. Well, usually not with the same owner though."

"Oh! I don't own him; the dogs, they're, uh... we're giving them shelter."

"Oh, you foster?" she asked, face lighting up. "An ex-girlfriend of mine did that, except with cats. Kept them in the spare bedroom; usually mothers with kittens, but a couple of times it was sick or injured cats. That's wonderful; so is this guy with you because he was sick, or due to behavioural problems?"

"Behaviour problems," Steve said firmly.

She smiled again. "Well, I hope he gets past them and ends up in a good forever home. And I better get a move on, or I'm going to be late for work. See you around, Steve."

"Later, Tisha."

Steve put Loki back down and they continued on their run. Even at a slower pace Loki was feeling pretty winded long by the time they'd finished their next lap. Steve frowned down at him, then picked him up again. "I think we'll skip the third lap for today," he said, and set out back to the tower.

Loki squirmed around, not liking being carried under Steve's arm, until they found a position they could compromise on, Steve's arm supporting Loki's hindquarters while Loki rested his head and forepaws on Steve's shoulder. It was a good position for having his back stroked, and he was almost bonelessly limp against Steve's chest by the time they reached the tower and returned to Tony's quarters.

Tony was seated on the couch, leaning forward to work his way through a stack of folders on the coffee table, Natasha sitting nearby sipping a glass of juice and watching him. They both looked up and smiled at Steve as he carried Loki in and set him down on the floor.

"I need to shower and change," Steve told Natasha.

She nodded. "Half an hour?"

"Sure," Steve said, and headed back downstairs to his own floor.

Tony looked up from his signing, and frowned at Natasha, then abruptly pointed his pen at her. "Are you Steve's plans for later? You are, aren't you! Are you two _dating!?_ " He looked and sounded delighted by the time he finished speaking, a wide grin on his face.

Natasha gave Tony a look, then gave a minimal shrug, settling back in her chair. "Yes, I am, and none of your business, Stark. Finish signing those, and if you're not done by the time Steve gets back up here, I will _not_ be happy."

"Yes ma'am," Tony said, and quickly went back to signing, though the grin stayed on his face. Loki went over and jumped up on the couch beside him, then wormed his head under Tony's arm to rest on his thigh, sighing and relaxing again, letting his eyes half-close in comfort. For a while the only sounds in the room were the scratch of Tony's pen on paper and the flipping of pages, until he finally slapped his pen down on the table and leaned back, one hand immediately moving to scratch Loki's ears. "There! All done, and still no Cap. We good?"

Natasha smiled. "Good enough," she agreed, and rose to her feet, gathering up the stacked folders full of signed papers and fitting them back into a large document box. "I'll drop these off in the offices downstairs on my way out," she said.

"Thanks, Natasha," Tony said. "You're a sweetheart, and my favourite female Avenger."

Natasha, being the only female Avenger, gave him the look that deserved. The elevator arrived just then, letting off Bruce, while Steve leaned out the door of it, smiling, and waited for Natasha to walk over and join him.

"They are _so_ dating," Tony crowed to Bruce. "I'm sure of it. So, feel like going down to your lab and doing science together?"

"We could, though Dr Foster is on her way over, so you might want to make it your lab instead."

"Oooo, science play-date with Jane! Sweet! Yes, my lab would be better," Tony exclaimed as he rose to his feet, then paused and frowned down at Loki. " _You_ stay here; you can have the run of my quarters."

Loki stood and watched as the two men disappeared into the elevator as well, surprised and disappointed not to be taken along to the lab with them. His ears and tails drooped, and he had to fight off the urge to whine.

This was a useful opportunity, he told himself sternly. Run of Stark's quarters... he'd explore as thoroughly as this form allowed. Surely the knowledge would come in useful later.


	24. Plastic Minds

Tony, Bruce and Jane stood around a monitor, watching as Loki wandered around exploring Tony's penthouse. He'd made his way down the internal staircase to the lowest level, and was currently nosing around in Tony's rec room, sticking his nose and sniffing interestedly under the beaten up old plaid couch (a relic of Tony's college days) before wandering in circles around the pool table and vintage pinball machines, looking them over curiously.

"He's not what I expected," Jane said thoughtfully.

"He's a Pomeranian, I don't think any of us ever expected that," Tony pointed out, then smiled at Darcy as she poured a refill into his coffee cup and handed Jane a square of dark chocolate.

"Not physically, I mean mentally," Jane said, and shifted to rest one hip on the workbench before popping the square of chocolate into her mouth, after which she waved at a second monitor off to the side, which was split into multiple windows showing earlier recordings of Loki since he's first arrived at the tower, as well as a large chart documenting his internet surfing habits. "From what little Thor's told me about Loki, he's never been particularly interested in the other realms – other from Asgard's point of view, not ours – unless they had some magic he was interested in learning of. Suddenly here he is, devouring everything he can about our history, cultures, technological development... Even a damned big chunk of our literature," she added, pointing out the Project Gutenberg usage statistics, among other sites.

"Know thy enemy," Bruce said.

"Maybe, but maybe not. I think he might have gotten curious about us. Midgard is _different_ than most of the nine realms."

"Different how?" Tony asked.

"Much less limited, for one," Jane explained. "Most of the other realms are limited in either area or beings, for assorted reasons; three of them were originally part of the same... planet, for want of a better word, as Asgard, though you need to imagine something more like Pratchett's Discworld minus the elephants and turtle than a ball of molten-cored rock like earth is; a flat world. Anyway, it broke apart, Thor's never explained just how or why to me, and the four fragments that survived became Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, and Nidavellir. So those are all pretty smallish worlds, by our standards, and can only carry small populations. All of Asgard is only about the size of Long Island, and the people there measure their lifespans in centuries, not years. They've got a very small, very stable population overall, and their culture changes very slowly. The Vanir are pretty much the same race, so they also have that long-lived thing going on, as do the light elves of Alfheim. The dwarves of Nidavellir aren't as long-lived, they're somewhere between us and the Aesir in longevity, but they also have a small, slow-changing population, even if they're also the most technologically inclined of the non-human races, at least as we understand technology."

"And the other worlds?" Bruce asked, sounding fascinated.

"Well, there's Jotunheim, the world of the frost giants, which is pretty thoroughly glaciated, while Muspelheim, the world of fire demons, is very actively volcanic. Neither supports a large population; life just doesn't do very well in such extremes of climate, they have very limited ecosystems and substantially reduced carrying capacity as a result. Svartalfheim is the home of the dark elves; also long-lived, plus their planet has been a battlefield many times, rendering large areas of it essentially barren and uninhabitable, so between deaths in battle tending to outnumber births and, again, reduced carrying capacity, they've got a pretty small population for the size of their world, though they're still the second-most populous of the nine realms; earth-sized planet, maybe one billion people at an outside guess, as far as I could estimate from Thor's descriptions. And finally there's Niffleheim, a very dark and cold planet, which if I tell you it's the place that the other races consider to be their equivalent of Hell, and where they believe their dishonoured dead end up, well, you can guess how unpleasant of a place it is. And then... there's us."

"With a temperate climate, and over seven billion people living lives that are freakishly short compared to ever other planet in the nine realms," Tony said slowly, crossing his arms,

"Exactly," Jane said approvingly, accepting another piece of chocolate from Darcy, who also handed Bruce a cup of tea. "But as well as living crazy-short lives, we also _change_ crazily-fast, by their standards. Loki's been alive for just over a thousand years; think of all the changes we've gone through in that time, how the borders of our countries have ebbed and flowed, how many king, queens, presidents and so on have ruled, how many wars there's been. How much our technology has evolved in that time. And then imagine where Loki comes from, where in that same millenia his father has _always_ been the king, where only a few hundred people at most have died or been born, where things are almost exactly the same now as they were on the day Odin carried the infant him home from battle, unchanged right down to the position of the knick-knacks on the shelves."

"Imagine the culture shock," Bruce said slowly, who Tony knew had had a lot of personal experience with the phenomenon.

"Like going from the ultimate unchanging small town where everyone knows everyone and all their business, to Tokyo on a busy day," Tony said thoughtfully.

" _Exactly,_ " Jane said again, and smiled approvingly at the two of them.

"I wonder if he even realized how big this planet is, how many people we have. How damned near impossible conquering the whole lot of us would be, even with his alien playmates along to help out," Tony said.

"Intellectually, logically, maybe," Jane said. "But emotionally? No. But now he's stuck here, and has the world wide web at his fingertips, and he may finally be getting an idea of just how big a bite he was attempting to take before."

"And this is mentally different than what you expected... why?" Tony asked.

"Because Thor's approach to the differences between Asgard and Midgard has been, largely, to ignore it. He only deals with the people and places directly around him; he doesn't delve into our history, isn't particularly interested in our culture, learns only the absolute bare minimum that he needs to of our technology. From what I've seen of him and the few other Aesir I've encountered, they're largely incapable of dealing with the change in perceptions needed to understand our culture and how fast it changes, where there's noticeable differences in even a single year, major shifts over a decade, and our culture today is largely unrecognizable compared to what it was even a century ago, much less comparisons over larger time scales. So they tune it out instead, they dismiss it and don't even try to make sense of it. Loki, on the other hand... I think he _gets_ it. He's able to make that perceptual shift, he's trying to understand us, he's able to see that we're extremely _different_ than what the Aesir and the other races out there are used to, and that different doesn't mean lesser. He's still capable of learning from and about us."

"Like how he's already a wiz at using the interface to Jarvis that Tony cooked up for him, while Thor can just barely manage to toast pop-tarts reliably and use the stove with close supervision," Bruce said.

"Yes," Jane agreed. "I believe from what you've shown me that Loki's still adaptable, where most Aesir are not. I wonder if it's at all like human brain development, and how babies and toddlers have the most malleable brains, they are literally sponges for language and knowledge the first two or three years of their life, and then that ability to learn easily usually fades over the years. Maybe the long lives of the Aesir have the side effect of them eventually pretty much losing the ability to easily learn new things, especially since their normal environment is so static that there's very little new things for them to ever have to learn over the course of their lives."

"Could be," Bruce said. "People who continue learning and trying out new things throughout their lives reportedly have a more plastic brain right up until old age gets them, anyway."

"Right. And, really, seeing as Loki isn't even the same race as Thor, there isn't any way to know offhand if this more noticeable adaptability of his is related to his being a Jotun, or is something particular to Loki himself."

"Interesting," Tony said. "But is there any way in which this is useful to us? To keep him contained, I mean."

"Well, mainly just that you shouldn't underestimate him; don't try and extrapolate how fast he'll learn or how he'll react to a situation based on Thor. Loki learns very quickly; he adapts. Even as a seemingly benign animal he's likely a lot more dangerous than he looks. But he's also interested in knowledge, even just for its own sake, and on that line I think giving him net access may have been one of the smartest decisions you made; it gives him something to do, and even at the rate he takes in information... Have you noticed he's never followed the same keyword link on Wikipedia twice? I think he may have eidetic memory; once he's read the information behind a given keyword he never needs to look it up a second time. It's kind of frighteningly awesome, the rate at which he can learn."

They all turned and looked silently at the main monitor again, where Loki had moved on from the rec room into a larger tiled space, with varying degrees of thoughtfulness.

"Oh my god, you have a _swimming pool_ in your penthouse!?" Jane exclaimed, immediately distracted.

"Just a small one," Tony said, grinning. "Calculating the weight distribution was a stone cold bi... witch. Until I gave up and just had Jarvis do it, he's better at structural stuff than I am, though Pep insisted we run the final plans by a real structural engineer that wasn't me before building it, which I thought was very hurtful of her. Also, I decided against making it an infinity pool open to the sky, coolness factor was a solid 10 but safety would have only been about a 5 or 6 given winds at this height, and it's too cold here too much of the year so useability would have been, like, a 3. You want a swim later?"

"If she says no I'm using my veto to override her and say yes," Darcy said, crowding in to get a better look at the monitor and the pool room, and handing Jane a mug of coffee and another chocolate square.

"We don't have swimsuits here, Darcy," Jane pointed out, before sipping at her drink

"I bet Tony does," Darcy said, lifting an eyebrow at him.

Tony grinned. "If I don't, I'll send out for some, or we can go shopping. It'll be fun, we can have a pool party this afternoon and do barbeque for supper. It's one kind of cooking I'm actually reasonably decent at. I blame Rhodey for that, he gave me a barbecue as a house-warming present when I first moved into the Malibu mansion. After I learned how not to set the meat on fire I got kind of good with it."

"Bitching," Darcy said, sounding and looking pleased.

"Now that our plans for later this afternoon have been ironed out, how about we get back to the real reason for this little gathering," Bruce interjected, sounding bored but with a definite amused gleam to his eyes and a slight smile.

"Right, sensors," Tony said. "Unfortunately the little mishap a few days ago pretty much trashed all the sensors we had set up to monitor Loki in hopes of being able to detect his mojo at work whenever he shape-shifted. Not that they ever picked up a damned thing, though we did get some nice readings off of them when the Doombots attacked that may be of use in the future against any further appearances by them."

"Doombots?" Darcy asked.

"Robots apparently sent after us by some guy in a cape who calls himself Dr Doom. Hence, Doombots," Tony explained.

"No capes," Jane and Darcy said emphatically and damn near in stereo, both in surprisingly good imitations of Edna Mode's voice.

Tony grinned. "I _like_ you two," he said, then looked at Bruce. "Think I can keep them? I could tell Coulson they followed me home..."

"No, Tony. Tony, no," Bruce said tiredly. "No making Dr Foster's connection to the Avengers any more obvious than strictly necessary."

"Bah, you're no fun," Tony groused, then turned back to Jane and smiled. " _Anyway_... I know enough to know that the equipment you've kludged together for your own research is detecting stuff that pretty much nothing else we've got can even begin to sense. So, I was hoping you might have suggestions for additional sensors _we_ could throw together to try and pin down Loki's magic; somehow detect the energy it employs."

"My equipment isn't kludges," Jane said, looking slightly annoyed.

"You forget I've seen them. Well, pictures of them, seeing as you're a cruel person and wouldn't let me into your lab. They're certainly very unique machines, but come on, you're no electrical engineer. You used paperclips to hold shut some of the casings! Paperclips and duct tape! I wouldn't be surprised to find chewing gum keeping important bits together."

Jane and Darcy exchanged a guilty look.

"I _knew_ it! Okay, yes, your equipment works, which is some kind of crazy god-damned miracle, but I can do better if you'll just _let me_. You know I have no reason to want to scoop your research, it's totally out of my field, I won't be using your knowledge to try and duplicate your own results or beat you to the scientific punch or anything like that. Let me help. I can help. I can build new stuff for you, just let me see your old stuff, and explain to me how you think it works."

Jane frowned and gave him a thoughtful look. "I'll consider it," she said reluctantly after a minute or two.

"Yes!" Tony crowed, holding both hands up in the air in a victory sign.

"That's not a yes," Jane told him.

"But it will be. It wasn't a no, so it will be a yes."

"You know there's a bad name for guys who think like that, right?" Darcy asked, refilling his mug again.

"Ow! That was... that wasn't the sort of thing I meant at all. Okay, maybe in the past I might have been overly persistent a time or two. Or three. Okay, _fine_ , so a maybe is neither a no nor a yes. Can I at least hope that it _will be_ a yes and I get to build all the fun toys for you? Pretty please?"

"You're ridiculous," Jane told him, but one corner of her lips twitched upwards slightly in an amused smile, and Tony beamed.

"Yes, yes I am. I know this about myself. I am ridiculous. Are you guys hungry yet? I haven't had lunch. Let me take you all out to lunch. Or we could order in. Whatever you like."

"You realize he's going to be like this until you at least let him see your equipment in person, right?" Bruce asked, sounding tired and amused.

"I'm beginning to get that impression, yes," Jane said, eyeing Tony as if he was an interesting waveform of dubious origin. "Lunch would be good."

"And then shopping," Darcy said.

"You just like me for my credit cards," Tony told her, pouting slightly.

"Nah, I like you because you're fun," Darcy assured him. "The shopping on your tab is just an extra-fun bonus."

* * *

Loki looked up from eviscerating a cushion when the elevator chimed, and Tony, Bruce, and two women spilled out of it, all but Bruce talking and laughing – though Bruce was smiling widely – Tony loaded down with shopping bags. Loki stared, then leapt to his feet and began yapping angrily as he recognized one of the women; Dr Jane Foster, Thor's mortal wench.

" _Oh my god_ , he's so adorable," the other woman exclaimed, and hurried over towards him, dropping down to one knee and holding out her hand. Loki froze, staring at her, and growled warningly.

"Err, careful Darcy, that didn't sounds like friendly barking," Bruce said, taking a step after her.

"Of course it wasn't, Pomeranians are territorial little shits and we're with his person and in his space," she said, but kept her hand held out toward him and made a weird little chirping sound with her lips. He stared a little longer, then gave in to instincts and cautiously leaned forward to sniff at her hand. She smelled like outside and food, and he started licking her hand, tasting traces of chicken and grease on her fingers.

She smiled, and her other long-nailed hand reached out to sink into the thick fur back of his ear and started scratching in just exactly the right way to make him sit down abruptly, one of his hind legs making spastic little scratching motions in time with the movement of her fingers. He whined, craning his head into her touch. And then, as her other hand joined the first,stroking along his back and side, he found himself flopping down, rolling over and letting her scratch his belly.

"Darcy, _you_ are a dog whisper. Why didn't I know this about you?" Tony asked as he came and stood at Darcy's shoulder, looking down at Loki wiggling around on the floor, and grinning in amusement.

Darcy smiled up at him. "My grandmother had Poms. Like, the bred them kind of had them. I learned how to lull them at an early age. They can be _really_ pushy if you let them think that they're the alpha."

Tony was frowning around the room, taking in the several disemboweled cushions spilling out stuffing across the floor of the seating area. "Destructive little guys too, I see."

To Loki's disappointment Darcy left off scratching him to rise to her feet and look around the room. She sighed and shook her head. "Separation anxiety," she said firmly, then removed most of the shopping bags from Tony, redistributing them between herself and Jane. "Where can Jane and I change?"

"Oh, take the guest bedroom... that way," he said, gesturing absently towards the stairs, frowning down at Loki. "Top of the stairs, on the left," he called after them as the two women moved away.

"I'm, uh... I'm going down to my floor," Bruce said hesitantly.

Tony immediately stopped staring at Loki and turned to look at the other scientist. "You're not abandoning me, are you? Not that I'd normally have any problem with keeping two beautiful bikini-clad women company all on my own, but _science!_ And I grill a mean burger. Though just for you I'll make it a veggie-patty of zen-like calm, yes?"

Bruce smiled, looking amused. "I need to change into my swimming trunks. Those are in my bedroom, on my floor," he assured Tony.

"Oh, good. Oh, hey, and I should text the rest of the team to see they know that there's a pool party and they're all invited. Jarvis, would you take care of that for me, pretty please?"

" _Of course, sir. Might I suggest you tidy up slightly before any additional guests arrive?_ "

"What, you don't want them to see the place when it's not looking it's best? They all live here, Jarv, I'm pretty sure they know it can get a little messy around here."

" _I am certain that there's a difference between a room that's been trashed by a battle with armed robots, and one that is messy because of you not cleaning up after the dog, sir,_ " Jarvis said frostily. Bruce laughed before disappearing into the elevator.

Tony rolled his eyes, then started gathering up torn-apart cushions. "Fine, I'll tidy a little. Satisfied?"

" _Of course, sir._ "

Tony snorted, then frowned again at Loki, shaking one of the cushions at him. "Separation anxiety my ass. You just like being destructive."

Loki purposefully made the most piteous expression he could, and whined.

"Oh, for the love of... not the puppy eyes! It is totally unfair how heartbroken you look right now," Tony said, then tossed the cushions aside onto one of the couches and sat down on the floor, dragging one of the remaining shopping bags close and digging around in it. "Look, if I feed you some of my leftover chicken strips will you stop looking at me that way? You're making me feel like a school yard bully, when you're the one who should be feeling bad. You don't want to know how much those throw cushions cost me. Well, cost Pepper when she was decorating the place, except it was all on my card anyway so it still cost me."

The leftovers smelled delicious. Loki sidled closer and allowed Tony to feed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jane's comparisons of the differing worlds of the Nine Realms are largely pulled out of thin air and only dubiously related to anything in Marvel canon. Basically warping a very basic knowledge of what realms exist in canon to suit my own purposes.


	25. Pool Parties and Sleepovers

Tony leaned back on the edge of the pool, a drink in hand and his legs dangling in the water, and smiled. Everyone had shown up for the party, even Coulson, who'd rolled in wearing long trunks and a float jacket, and actually blushed when Steve helped Clint to get him out of his chair and into the pool. Aqua therapy was apparently part of his regular fitness routine, and he appeared to be enjoying his little excursion, though both Clint and Natasha were keeping a close eye on him as if worried about unexpected tidal waves, sharks, ninjas, or wormholes to another dimension appearing in the pool. Tony made mental note to give Phil free run of the pool any time he wanted to make use of it, it had to be better than whatever facility he was using at SHIELD. Also, closer, since it was right here. Plus it was kind of silly to have the thing here when it almost never got used, Tony not having much of an appetite for swimming on his own since Afghanistan.

Though a gathering like this... this, he rather liked, he thought, and looked over to where Bruce was treading water in the deep end of the pool. Jane was hanging off the edge of the pool near Bruce, the two of them talking with the sort of intent expressions that make Tony suspect he might be missing out on some serious science talk, but he was feeling too comfortable where he was to want to move and join them.

Steve was over in the shallows, lurking vaguely-near Natasha, and looking charmingly self-conscious about sharing the pool with all of them; Tony suspected it had as much to do with the criminally tiny purple speedo Clint was wearing as the bikinis Jane and Darcy were in, not to mention Natasha's backless one-piece. Jane somehow managed to look both sexy and innocent in her tiny scraps of white fabric, while Darcy's rather more substantial polka-dotted navy blue two-piece seemed to be Steve's kryptonite; he flushed and looked away every time his eyes ended up on her. That's didn't appear to be working too well for him since it tended to turn his eyes towards either Jane or Natasha instead, though he generally managed to look at them for longer and with less flush. Tony was trying to figure out why it was her outfit, out of all of them, that seemed to most bother the good captain.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Darcy asked, dropping down to sit beside him. She dangled her own feet in the water, swishing them back and forth in time with the music that was playing.

"Zaftig," Tony said, unthinkingly, and then grinned and pointedly leered at Darcy. "Or at least curvaceous. I've got it."

"Got what? Good eyesight?" Darcy asked, and rolled her eyes slightly at him.

"No, I just figured out why Steve reddens like a ripe tomato every time you cross his field of sight. That... that swimsuit. Very retro, as is the figure it's so admirably hugging. As in, the standards of female beauty in the 40s were a little different than they are today, and in that get-up you probably resemble every movie star, chorus girl and pin-up poster that ever gave Steve impure thoughts before he ended up on ice."

Darcy laughed and then smiled at him. "You sometimes say the sweetest things. You're probably right though, all of this might be pushing some buttons of his. Man, that's kind of cool... me, possibly giving wood to Captain America."

"An honour and a privilege, right?"

"Hey, it's like I'm living the dream. Speaking of, that was a low blow, showing Jane the lab space she could have if she moved here. Already partially equipped, even. Sneaky bastard!"

"The sneakiest. Though seriously, apart from the occasional malevolent invasion this is probably the safest place she could stay, short of secretly being whisked off to Norway again. Or somewhere even worse. It'll make it so much easier for Bruce and I to work with her, too. And feed her. And make her things."

Darcy smiled again. "I swear, you're like some strange reverse version of a kid on Christmas morning. Instead of getting all excited over what great things might be in your own boxes, you're way too interested in giving things to other people and hoping they like it."

"I know, Pepper tells me I come on too strong with that sometimes. A lot. Most of the time. That there are other ways to show people I like them and hope they like me than to shower them with gifts."

Darcy smiled. "I dunno, personally I think it's kind of sweet," she said, and leaned over to kiss his cheek before suddenly bouncing to her feet and running toward the line of recliners along the inside wall of the room. "Loki puppy! Time for a swim!" she exclaimed, scooping the dog up from where he'd apparently been crouched under one, watching them. She hurried back to the pool, ignore Loki's yips and struggles, and jumped into the shallow end near the others.

"Darcy! No drowning Loki! Thor would not approve!" Jane called from the far end of the pool, looking concerned.

"Not drowning him, just letting him swim," Darcy called back, as she lowered Loki into the water, cupping one hand under his belly but otherwise leaving him unsupported. His eyes were wide and frightened for a moment, and he thrashed around, then his legs seemed to get the right rhythm going for a basic dog-paddle. Darcy beamed at him, turning so as to keep him supported as he swam in circles around her.

Tony grinned. "You better be recording this, Jarvis, or I will be extremely disappointed."

" _Yes, sir._ "

* * *

Tony sat up in bed with a choked scream, heart feeling like it was trying to beat its way out of his chest. He startled as he realized there was something in the room with him, sound and motion of something scrambling away from him. The faint lighting that was always on in any room he slept in – at least any room that was part of his own properties – was already slowly increasing, while soft music had begun to play, part of several protocols Jarvis knew to follow any time Tony woke up from a nightmare. The sound and motion was revealed as a Pomeranian, and it was a sign of how rattled he was by his flashback that he just sat and stared at it for half a minute before finally remembering that the reason there was a dog in his room, on his bed, was Loki.

His hands were trembling; he clenched them tightly, letting out an explosion of breath, then ground the heels of his palms into his eyes for a moment, wishing away the memories of darkness, the dusty scent of stone, a large metal tank full of water with a faint skim of oil on it, the light of a lone, too-bright bare bulb reflecting off its disturbed surface, the harsh light turning the cave and the men crowded around him into a chiaroscuro scene rendered mostly in black. He forced himself to breath in and out, aiming for slow but mostly settling for a stuttering series of sudden inhales and shaky exhales. After a couple minutes Loki crept closer to him, and he sat there petting the dog, trying to pace his breathing to the slow stroke of his hand down Loki's neck and back.

"Enough, Jarvis," he said once his breathing had finally settled. "Don't think I'm getting back to sleep after that one," he added as the music faded back to silence, then slowly got up from the bed, feeling every one of his forty-plus years.

Remembering that he had guests, he pulled on a robe before leaving his room and heading downstairs. The pool party had run late into the evening, eventually devolving into just him, Bruce and Jane sitting in his kitchen discussing particle physics while Darcy made sure they stayed hydrated and fed them leftovers from the barbecue, after which Jane and Darcy had opted for the bed in his guest bedroom over a long drive back to their own homes. He smiled slightly, remembering Darcy informing him that she had her taser and would use it if any random Tony Starks showed up in their bedroom. Not that he would, of course, neither of them were that kind of guest, he wasn't so drunk as to forget where his own bed was, and besides, Thor would have turned him into paste is he tried anything with Thor's main squeeze. He'd have needed even more alcohol than it took to forget where his bedroom was to forget that particular barn-door sized fact.

He was standing with the fridge door open, unable to remember what he'd opened it for, and watching Loki sniffing curiously at the contents of the bottom shelf, when someone cleared their throat right behind him. He yelped and spun, putting his back to the cupboards beside the fridge. " _Fuck_ , Darcy, don't ever sneak up on me like that again. What are you even doing up at this hour, anyway?" he asked, frowning at her. She was wearing a borrowed set of his own pyjamas, sleep wear not having been among the things that the ladies had either brought with them or purchased during their impromptu shopping spree earlier that day. Or rather, a pair of his pyjama pants paired with one of his long-sleeved knit shirts, which looked considerably better on her than it ever had on him, he decided, and in a most thoroughly distracting way.

Darcy just shrugged, crossing her arms. "Couldn't sleep. Jane is kind of a bed hog, and she snores. Also I maybe should have switched to decaf earlier in the day. Kind of a little wired right now. What's your excuse?"

"Ah. Nightmares," he admitted as he closed the fridge door. "Not the kind I can go right back to sleep after having, unless I want extra servings of them. Care to join me in some late-night TV?"

Darcy smiled. "Sure, sounds like fun. Actual TV, or like, infomercials? Or are you thinking movie?"

"I dunno. Lady's choice?" he asked, led the way to the seating area, dropping down to sit in the middle of the couch.

She laughed, and sat down beside him, folding one leg under her and leaning against the arm of it. "I think no to the infomercials, you have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy those and I'd need to be drunk for that. Or stoned. Maybe some TV, if there's anything good on."

"Jarvis has all the channels in the world. We can watch pretty much anything you want to."

"Even if I said something like Brazilian game shows?"

"Yup, anything."

"Cool. Though since I don't speak Portuguese maybe something less exotic would be best. Actually a movie of some kind would be nice."

"What are you thinking? Action movie? Comedy? Chick flick? Something animated?"

"And if I say chick flick?"

"I am totally down with that. I am confident enough in my manhood to not think that watching a movie with a moderately cheesy plot featuring actual character development and maybe some romance will emasculate me."

Darcy slowly smiled. "All right then. Though if we're going to do this we're going to do this right. I require snacks and a sugary beverage, though I think we should probably stick to the kind that doesn't include alcohol," she said, and rose to her feet, stepping over the back of the couch and heading back to the kitchen. Tony followed, then leaned against the counter and watched while she poked around in his fridge and cupboards, making excited little sounds to herself as she hauled vanilla ice cream and juice out of the fridge, and a variety of crackers, cookies, and spreads out of the cupboards.

"What are you making?" he asked as she scooped the ice cream into the blender until it was almost full, and then drowned it in orange juice.

"Creamsicle smoothies. Start ferrying all of that over to the coffee table," she added, gesturing at the collection of boxes and jars on the counter.

They were soon settled back down on the couch, with big glasses of tangy ice-cold smoothies and an array of snacks spread out before them, Loki sitting attentively between them and sniffing interestedly in the direction of the food.

"Jarvis, do you have My Chauffeur?" Darcy asked as she spread peanut butter on soda crackers and topped them with either apple slices or raisens.

" _Of course, Ms Lewis._ "

"Seriously? My Chauffeur?" Tony asked her. "Isn't that from before you were born?"

"Yeah, but it's a favourite of my mom's, she even had it on VHS. I have fond memories of watching it with her, growing up. It's like cheesy romance comedy comfort food to me. You'll like it."

And he did, laughing himself half-sick during the scene with Casey Meadows getting Cat Fight to his concert on time. By the time the credits rolled as Casey and Battle were driven off post-wedding, he was relaxed and grinning. Darcy had sprawled out on the couch with her feet in his lap, Loki lying down on top of her with his eyes half-closed as she scratched his head and neck. Tony found himself smiling fondly at her.

"What?" she said after a minute, when she turned away from the credits and caught him staring.

"Oh, nothing."

"No, come on, why are you staring? I'll be seriously disappointed if you're leching on me, since I thought we had this whole platonic bros thing going on. Besides, as much as I like you, you are _so_ not my type."

"Way too high maintenance?"

"Among other things, yeah. So why the stare? Do I have food on my face? A hole in this shirt?"

"No, no... just, I was thinking how much I liked this. Tonight. And liked you. As a friend. I don't have very many of those you know, especially female ones. Acquaintances, employees, and ex-one-night-stands, yes, lots of those; actual female friends, not so much. There's like Pepper for sure, Natasha at least when she doesn't want to kill me, provisionally Jane, and you."

Darcy smiled. "You're sweet."

"Say that enough times and maybe I'll start to believe you. Anyway, I was just kind of thinking, and this is not a new thought for me, how if I'd ever actually had a younger sister I'd have wanted her to be just like you. Or a daughter, but that just makes me feel _old_ , especially since I think I actually am technically old enough to be your father. But anyway, I seem to have an opening for an honorary kid sister, think you might be willing to take it on?"

Darcy grinned, and sat up, crossing her legs and resettling Loki in her lap. "I dunno, I think that might require some negotiations. See, I already have three brothers, and I don't think I want another one. But you could be my honorary big sister maybe?"

Tony laughed. "Hrmm... that would depend, what would it involve? I'd be up for occasional sleepovers, chick flick nights, gossiping, and the odd shopping spree, but I think I'd need to draw the line at me in a dress or makeup. Or any form of nightie."

"Can we at least do each other's hair some times?"

"I don't think mine is anywhere near long enough for braiding."

"I could tie little bows in it?" she asked hopefully.

Tony laughed again. "You're on."

"Okay, then I'm fine with being honorary kid sister Stark, as long as it doesn't mean that I no longer get to be your platonic arm-candy as needed, because that was pretty fun too."

"It was," Tony agreed, and found himself smiling fondly at her again. "Another movie, or are you ready to go back to sleep now?"

"Another movie. Ever seen Down With Love?"

"Can't say that I have."

" _Excellent_. Lets make some popcorn or nachos or something first. I'm hungry again."

"God, Lewis, you eat like Steve or Thor."

Darcy laughed as she set aside Loki and rose to her feet again. "Says the man who inhaled an entire bag of Oreos within the last hour."

"Try wearing the suit for a few hours every day while sparring or fighting, that thing is a workout."

"Believe me, so is chasing around after Jane," Darcy said, and led the way to the kitchen.


	26. Hot and Cold

Tony was in a good mood the next morning, seeing as Jane had upgraded her 'maybe' to an 'I'll be back later today with one of my older sensors that you can take a look at', which seemed to at least be closer to the 'yes, you can see all my toys and make better ones for me' that he was hoping for. He missed out on getting to take Loki for a morning walk – Natasha called dibs on him first – but he cheated and took Loki and Bruce out for lunch to a burger place by Madison Park that didn't just tolerate the presence of dogs, but actually had a couple of dog-specific menu items that could be ordered.

"Burgers two days in a row," Bruce said, shaking his head slightly and looking amused as he ate the veggie burger and cheese fries he'd opted for.

Tony grinned. "Come on, everyone loves a good burger. Even you. Even daily. And it's not like we usually have them anything close to daily anyway. Beside, they have food for dogs," he pointed out, gesturing to where Loki was already nose-deep in his dish of frozen vanilla custard with peanut butter sauce and bakery-made dog biscuits.

"And this was an important consideration."

"Of course it was. And you'll love their shakes," Tony added as he looked over the menu again while taking a big bite out of his own cheeseburger. "Oh, hey they do creamsicle shakes. Reminds me I need to get Jarvis to lay in more vanilla ice cream and orange juice, because those are pretty good. And healthy for you."

"Ice cream is not all that healthy for you."

"Orange juice is! And there are worse things I could be eating than a frozen dairy product."

"Like a double cheeseburger with cheese fries?" Bruce asked, amused.

"Yes, exactly like that. And oh my god we have to try this one – a shake made of frozen chocolate custard, fudge sauce, chocolate truffle cookie dough, and dark chocolate chunks, topped with chocolate sprinkles. Actually I think everyone should get to try that one. I better order five to go... no, six, Agent should have one too. Wait, eight to go since Jane and Darcy are supposed to come back later..."

"They'll be melting before you can even get them back to the tower."

"Hah! That's what you think!" Tony said, then pulled out his phone. "Jarvis? Send my driver to pick me up in, oh, call it fifteen minutes, and tell him to bring a freezer bag and some dry ice." He closed the phone and beamed at Bruce. "See?"

"You're incorrigible."

"And ridiculous, don't forget Jane told me I'm ridiculous. Also, Darcy tells me I'm sweet. This is much better than when everyone used to call me much harsher names. Though I kind of used to deserve it."

"What is with you and Darcy anyway?"

"What do you mean? We're friends."

"Yeah, but... okay, true or false, the old you would have hit that by now. Or at least tried to."

"Yes, yes I would have. In a heartbeat. But the old me is an asshole, and Darcy is... well. It's kind of hard to explain."

"Were tasers involved?"

"They may have been at least involved in passing. Okay, Darcy is just... so _me_."

Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment. "Okay, minus the whole billionaire genius philanthropist playboy bit... still not seeing it."

"Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. Anyway, apart from all of that she is short, short-tempered, libido the size of the Empire State building, wicked sense of humour, very personal sense of style, socially awkward except when she's not... maybe not as big an ego but give her time. Plus fiercely loyal to and protective of her friends, of which she has very few real ones. See: socially awkward. Also, I wouldn't put philanthropist past her, she may not have as deep pockets as I do but I bet she still gives what she can to good causes."

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you use the word short about yourself."

"Yeah, well, if the shoes-with-lifts fit... I acknowledge I am not exactly the tallest person on our team, okay?"

"Yup. Okay, and yeah, I think I kind of get now what you mean about her being very you, in some weird alternative universe genderbent way. You do have at least vaguely similar personalities."

"More than vaguely similar. Anyway, yes, she made it pretty clear the first time we met that she thinks I'm pretty... what's the word, adorkable, for an older man, and might be fun to hang out with occasionally, but that I'm not her type and she wouldn't hesitate to taser me if I made any unwanted advances. And then after Jane kicked me out of the building we went to a bar for drinks and did drunken karaoke together, until she ended up having to taser someone who tried to get handsy with her assets. I had to bail her out, thankfully this was while they were still in New Mexico, where it's at least legal to carry one. Very fun evening."

Bruce laughed. "You're right, she is very you."

"Yeah. Anyway, that was the start of our friendship, and while yes, I would happily hit that if she ever expressed interest, I would rather keep the friendship. There aren't all that many people around who look at me and see, well, _me_ , instead of the money, the fame, the tarnished reputation, or what I can do for them."

Bruce smiled. "I can understand that. Not exactly being overburdened with friends myself, especially ones who look at me and see Bruce, not just the other guy." He looked to the side, and nodded his head. "I do believe that's our ride coming."

"So it is," Tony said. "I'll be right back, get the driver to bring over the freezer bag, please," he said, inhaled the last couple bites of his meal and hurried inside to order the shakes, and a doggie bag of the dog biscuits since it wouldn't be fair to pick up treats for everyone except Loki.

* * *

Loki watched in disappointment as Tony headed off in the elevator with Bruce, Jane and Darcy again, the women clutching the remains of the shakes Tony had presented them with as soon as they'd arrived. He snorted and flopped down on the floor, head resting on his forepaws, and stared at the elevator doors, idly considering seeking out more pillows to take out his frustrations on. Or perhaps a pair of shoes.

"Abandoned you again, did he?" Steve asked, and knelt down to scratch at the base of Loki's ears and then scoop him up. "Come watch TV with me."

Loki snorted, but allowed himself to be carried to the seating area and deposited on the seat next to Steve. He lay there quietly, gradually relaxing as Steve scratched and petted him, eventually wiggling around to rest his chin on Steve's thigh, his eyes half-lidding in contentment.

"Aren't you two the pretty picture," Natasha said as she walked into the room from the elevator area.

Steve looked up at her and smiled. "Natasha. Care to join us?"

"Don't mind if I do," she agreed, and sat down on the other side of Steve. "What are we watching?"

"A documentary about the Cold War."

"Ugh."

"We could watch something else?"

"I'd appreciate it. A good action movie, or a spy thriller."

"Like James Bond?" Steve asked. "Clint introduced me to those a couple weeks ago," he explained when Natasha raised an eyebrow at him. "And explained to me that they're good escapism for him because they're so completely unrelated to what being a real spy is actually like."

"Who's your favourite Bond so far?"

"Sean Connery, though I'm not very far into the series yet. What's the next one to watch, Jarvis?"

" _I believe Moonraker is next, Steve._ "

"Want to watch that?"

"No, pass. I'd prefer something at least slightly more rooted in reality. Though Sean Connery is good... Oh, I know. Jarvis, play The Hunt for Red October, please."

" _Of course, Ms Romanov._ "

Things were quiet for a while, apart from the sound of the movie. Loki, after considering for a while, climbed up into Steve's lap and far enough over to rest his head on Natasha's thigh, so that both of them could scratch and pet him.

"Isn't that the actor who was Darkness in the movie with the unicorns and glitter?"

"Yes," Natasha agreed. "Tim Curry."

"Good," Steve said, sounding pleased with himself.

Loki tuned out their conversation for a while after that, until he realized they'd changed from talking about the movie to talking about him.

"It was kind of adorable, the way Tony insisted on being the only person allowed to feed Loki any of the dog biscuits."

"Yeah. I get the feeling, from things he's said," Steve paused, frowning unhappily before finally continuing. "Well, that Howard wasn't the sort of father who'd think to get his son a puppy or toss a ball around with him or anything like that."

Natasha sighed and nodded. "I've read both their files. Howard Stark was far from ideal father material. It didn't help that he'd had Tony so late in life; he was a rather bitter and withdrawn man by then, certainly no longer the man you'd known. Very set in his ways, cold, more concerned with his company and his legacy than his family. A distant father, a neat freak, an alcoholic and a workaholic. I think the best that can be said of him was that at least his neglect of Tony was mostly of the benign variety; ignoring him, almost never praising him, rarely spending time with him..."

"Ouch," Steve said softly. "That explains a lot, actually. About more than just Tony being so secretly excited about having something resembling a real pet," he added, and looked down at Loki, running his hand soothingly down his back again.

"Yes, it does," Natasha agreed softly, then pursed her lips and rolled back her head. "Jarvis – my override, the last five minutes of discussion, please."

" _Of course, Ms Romanov._ "

Steve gave her a startled look. "You have an override?"

"Yes. For times when I need to discuss things with Clint or others that I would prefer Tony not know. Pepper made him set it up for me."

"And that stops him from prying? When he knows it exists?"

"Not always, if he's really determined he can use his own overrides to find out what Jarvis has sequestered, but the one time he went snooping and made it known later, I made a point of making his life hell for a week afterwards. So now even if he does go snooping, he at least pretends to be unaware of things, which I'm willing to accept as close enough."

"I see. So the secrecy is an illusion."

"Yes, but that's true of almost all secrets, isn't it?"

Steve nodded agreement. "Yeah. Oh, something I'm curious about... why do you have Jarvis call you Ms Romanov instead of Natasha?"

Natasha smiled. "Because if he really was an English butler, that's what he'd call me. It makes both of us feel more comfortable."

"Really?"

Natasha laughed. "Well, it makes _me_ feel more comfortable, anyway."

"Movie's done."

"So it is. Museum?"

"Sure," Steve said, and rose to his feet. "Let me just check Loki's water bowl first."

Loki followed him into the kitchen, and took a long drink as soon as Steve had rinsed and refilled the bowl and put it down. He paused after a bit to catch his breath, and could hear Steve and Natasha still chatting as they waited for the elevator.

"...kind of cute how he was just lying there, waiting for Tony," Steve was saying. A chime sounded as the elevator arrived.

"Dogs are like that; they get attached to their person. Very loyal," Natasha said, the sound of her voice changing as the two got into the elevator.

"Even though he's not a real dog, he sure acts like..." The closing of the elevator doors cut off what Steve was saying.

Loki stood frozen, a last few drops of water dripping off his muzzle and into the bowl, then slowly walked back out to main room. Of course; he should have seen it himself, the danger of staying in one particular form for so long, especially _this_ form, that of an animal that was a companion to and usually subservient toward mankind. His stomach curdled as he thought of how _pleased_ he'd felt lately, the emotions and desires of the animal form swaying his own; delighted to be treated like a common pet, coddled and walked and cuddled and fed like some near-mindless beast, actually glad that he was being accepted as a minor pack-member of the Avengers.

He walked over to the windows and stared out at the arch of the balcony, and the cityscape beyond it, remembering his first visit here, remembering Tony walking in to confront him, his mix of stubborn bravery and buried fear and snark. Loki's certainty that the man would be easily overwhelmed, added to his stable of thralls, turned against his companions. His anger when that failed... and then throwing Stark from the building, his feeling of delight as the man plummeted out of view, turning to shock and then consternation as one of Stark's many machines blasted past him out of the windows and down after the man, somehow saving him from what had seemed to be certain death.

He tried to recover that earlier feeling of certainty in himself and his plans, to ignore the instincts of this form, that wanted Tony back here, that wanted to be touched and praised. Anger swept over him – a red-hot rage at himself, at Tony and the other Avengers, at Thor and Odin – and he unleashed it on the room's furnishings, jumping up on the couch to retrieve one of the few throw cushions that had survived his attack on them the day before. He knocked it around the room, sometimes tearing at it with teeth and forepaws, sometimes picking it up in his mouth and shaking it like a rat before tossing it to the side and leaping on it again, snarling and growling as he tore it apart. It was a sad-looking half-deflated sack of well-shredded fabric, and he was beginning to think it was time to select a second victim, when a particularly energetic leap after it sent him sliding into a small throw rug, knocking it askew.

The floor was different underneath the rug; not merely the polished concrete that it was throughout this section of Tony's penthouse, but with an irregularly shaped inset of terrazzo flooring of green and black marble chips with flecks of some gold-coloured material. Loki froze, then grabbed the edge of the rug in his teeth and pulled it the rest of the way off to reveal the whole inset, several feet in length and just over a foot in width. A glance around to place its location relative to things like the steps up to the raised area where Tony's bar was were sufficient to identify what it must be; the hole made in the floor from the Hulk smashing him into it, repaired in a way that made it stand out as a trophy of that encounter rather then erasing it.

His anger switched from hot to cold in a breath. He stalked out of the room and upstairs to Tony's bedroom, where he briefly considered the satisfaction to be gained from soiling Tony's bed before deciding that would be an act beneath him, and simply dragging the sheets askew enough that he could burrow in under them, out f sight of even Jarvis' ever-watchful eyes. He lay there for a while, ignoring the conflicting feelings his body was sending him, trying to concentrate on a form that would be less susceptible to being swayed by interacting with the Avengers, rather than on how oddly comforting the faint scent of Tony that lingered in the bedding was to this body. With an effort, he finally forced himself to sleep.


	27. Things That Start With S

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More _*wavey-hands*_ comic book level fake science ahead.

 

Tony peered inside the casing, grimacing at the haphazard wiring. "It's like a rat's nest in there," he said, feeling offended that such a messy contraption had ever worked at all.

"Yes, well, as you pointed out yesterday, I'm no electrical engineer," Jane pointed out, with only a slight edge in her voice. "I was more concerned with building something that worked well enough to be a proof-of-theory than something that was well-constructed. Which is also why this particular sensor is now retired; I've built much better versions since."

"Alright, so... what this mess of spaghetti wiring is supposed to do is take readings of some very odd energy sources, right? Which means there's supposed to be a sensor in here somewhere, except I'm seeing an empty socket over here instead of what I'm assuming is supposed to be the bit that's the actual sensor... so what you're showing me is a sensor that currently senses nothing? Not exactly overly helpful, Dr Foster."

"The sensor part itself is built of an extremely rare element, and you don't want to know how difficult it was for me to obtain a sufficient sample of the metal in question to build the first sensor element, much less the two additional ones I've put together since; the sensors work best when I have three of them to triangulate sources with. I have brought over the original element I built, which still works with this sensor. If you break it, I will hurt you. I'll also want a receipt before I hand it over, you're only allowed to use it in my presence, and I'll want it back at the end of the session since I have nightly readings to take that require it. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, gimme," Tony said, and made grabby hands at her.

"Receipt first," Jane said sternly, and Darcy held out an already-completed form and a pen to Tony, then when he stared blankly at first them and then her, set them down on the bench and allowed him to pick them up himself, though he ignored the pen she'd supplied in favour of a leaky ball-point pen he scavenged off a nearby table.

Tony frowned as he read the receipt over. "What, wait... vibranium? How on earth did you a) acquire any vibranium, and b) work it? This I have to see," he said, scrawled a signature and date at the bottom of the form, and handed it and the leaky pen over to Darcy, absentmindedly rubbing ink off his fingers onto his shirt while looking hopefully at Jane.

Jane frowned at him, then took a small metal box out of her purse, setting it down on the bench and opening it. It was foam-lined, and contained something that looked vaguely like an old-fashioned vacuum tube, about the size of a miniature bottle of alcohol. The tube had a number of pin contacts projecting out of the base, and contained a lot of hair-fine wires connected to a bit of what looked like gold foil inside. In fact, the more he looked at it... "Please tell me that's not a miniature alcohol bottle."

Jane and Darcy exchanged a look and giggled. "It could be worse," Jane said, straight-faced. "I had a choice between sacrificing the Tabasco sauce or the shot of vodka, and the vodka bottle had a larger mouth."

"And the foil? You expect me to believe that's pure vibranium?"

"No, it's made of vibranium dust bonded together with gold; I didn't have equipment capable of smelting or otherwise working the vibranium, which was already in dust form, and decided that a matrix of vibranium and gold was likely sufficient for my purposes. Crude but workable."

"Let me guess... your grandmother's wedding ring?"

Jane smiled. "No. An earring I'd lost the match for," she said, then shrugged. "It was the only 24 karat gold I had on hand. I had to improvise a lot with this stuff."

"Okay... so if we put this doohickey you built out of spit, gum, and a non-lost earring in your sensor, what's it supposed to do? How do you believe it works?"

"Well, vibranium absorbs any energy it comes into contact with, over a very broad range of what can be termed energy. But it can only absorb so much energy so fast. So what I do is feed in an electrical current, and gradually ramp it up. There's a warm-up period until it...well, saturates the capacity of the dust, after which a small current starts to flow out of the foil and I cease ramping up the input and leave it constant."

"Oh," Bruce said, looking enlightened. "And any additional energy that impacts the foil from an exterior source will cause the escaping current to vary."

"Exactly," Jane said, smiling warmly at Bruce. "So I shield it as much as I can from known external energy sources, like radio waves and microwave energy and all that sort of thing, filter out any remaining fluctuations that prove to be either constant or predictable – call it the background radiation of energy that's still getting through the shielding – and anything left is possibly caused by an anomalous event and might be what I'm looking for and trying to measure. This first sensor is very poorly shielded, so other than proving that the idea did in fact work, it wasn't terribly useful out in the field," she added, gesturing to the opened casing on the table. "It did sense something during the first event I witnessed after completing it, but the readings were too crude to do anything really useful with. The sensors I've built since are much better, though I'm still more studying the side-effects of the energy release – atmospheric ionization, some minor gamma radiation and so on – than the energy itself."

"Can I see it in operation?" Tony asked, feeling excited. "I think this actually will work to sense Loki's magic, 'cause remember what happened when he tried to use his glow stick of mind control on me?"

"It failed," Bruce said. "Because of your arc reactor..."

"Ding ding ding! And my current arc reactor is powered with synthetic vibranium. So, hypothesis: based on the evidence of Loki's spell failing, my synthetic vibranium absorbs magic energy, therefore this sensor-foil-thing of Jane's should also absorb magic, therefore her thingamajig should be able to sense when magic is in use. With an addendum that vibranium might even be a key part of our eventual Faraday cage equivalent for shielding things from magic."

"That still tells us nothing about what magic actually is, or how it works," Bruce pointed out.

"No, but it would prove that magic is a form of energy, _detectable_ energy, at which point it ceases being mumbo-jumbo and is merely a part of science we don't understand yet. And I like that idea far more than magic being some unknowable something with no discernible rules. It's a baby step, but it's also a step in the right direction. Like a foggy photographic plate."

Bruce and Jane both smiled at that. Jane soon had the sensor element installed, the casing closed and powered up, and data scrolling on a battered old laptop, which so far was displaying a disappointingly flat line. "Before you say anything, I have better computers now too," she said, giving Tony a look. "But this is the laptop I had when I built this one, so it's the computer that has the version of the software that works with it. 'Kay?"

"Okay, fine. Though I hope you won't object to me transferring the program over to Jarvis later and connecting him up to this contraption of yours, for the next time we use it, assuming I don't build a better one first. Speaking of, that's another reason you should let me build your things; synthetic vibranium! Though I'll need to rebuild my particle accelerator first since my original one kind of got destroyed. Jarvis, find a place where I can build one without too much legal bullshit and acquire the land and have Pepper run the paperwork on it all, will you?"

" _Of course, sir. I'm sure Ms Potts will be delighted with the additional workload._ "

"Hush you, you know she'll just delegate it to one of her people anyway, and I don't feel at all guilty about keeping people I pay busy. Especially lawyers."

" _Technically it is Stark Industries that pays them, sir._ "

"Close enough. Oh look, our flat line just went squiggly. Saturation point of the foil, I assume."

"Yes. You can see why I liked being out in the middle of nowhere for so much of my early work," Jane agreed, gesturing at the very noisy waveform it was making on the screen. "There's too many radiating energy sources in a big city. Even with heavy shielding this would require a huge amount of filtering before it would be possible to pick out the fluctuations that are caused by the energy that accompanies the atmospheric anomalies I was studying."

"About that energy," Bruce began, and the three of them ended up in a lengthy discussion of Jane's research interrupted only by Darcy handing snacks and beverages to them and guiding Jane into sitting down in a real chair, until some time later when Jarvis made a small throat-clearing sound to get Tony's attention.

"What's up, Jarvis?"

" _Sorry for interrupting, sir, but I believe Loki is, ah... throwing a temper tantrum._ "

"Show me," Tony said, and frowned as Jarvis projected a display showing Loki eviscerating a throw cushion, and not in a playful way like he had the day before; he was growling in a very loud and hostile tone, his lips curled back to display his teeth.

"Wow, who pissed off the Pom," Darcy said, leaning in to take a closer look.

"Jarvis?"

" _I do not know, sir. He was fine for some time after you'd left. He watched a movie with Captain Rogers and Ms Romanov for most of the afternoon, then shortly after they'd left he suddenly flew into rage._ "

"Separation anxiety?" Tony asked Darcy.

"I don't think so, Poms can get destructive when lonely, but that sort of rage isn't normally caused by it."

"Jarvis, can you play back the last few minutes of Steve and Natasha's visit to Tony's floor?" Bruce asked.

"Oh, good idea," Tony agreed. "Playback, Jarvis."

"Ow," Bruce said a couple of minutes later. "I guess he has pretty sensitive hearing."

"And probably just realized his animal form's been influencing him, yup. So much for our cunning plan."

"What cunning plan?" both Jane and Darcy asked.

"Can I just say it's creepy when you two do that?" Tony said, then sighed. "We realized a couple weeks ago that his... attitude, seems to be affected by the form he takes. He was pretty standoffish at first, but then he was a horse for a few days and responded really well to grooming, after which he changed to taking dog forms, which were even more susceptible to things like praise and attention. So we've all been doing our best to spend a lot of time with dog-Loki, talking him on walks, petting him, and so on. Positive reinforcement type stuff."

"Awwww, you've been re-socializing him," Darcy said. "How sweet."

"Yeah, and this is clearly going to be a set-back in that plan, since it kind of relied on him not being aware that his form... oh, _fuck_ ," Tony swore, as he turned and gestured at the monitor just in time to catch Loki staring at the terrazzo-filled Loki-sized hole in his floor. "Damn it, I meant to tape that rug down."

"Too late now," Bruce said resignedly. "Ouch."

"What? What's that?" Jane asked, frowning at the screen as Loki turned and trotted away in the direction of the stairs.

"That is where the Hulk slam-dunked Loki into my living room floor during the Battle of New York," Tony explained. "I may have sort of decided to keep a reminder of it as a trophy, and repaired the damage with a different material so it would stand out. In retrospect a little on the mean side but then I never expected to end up house-sitting the guy. And, come on, he was a murdering asshole back then, keeping a trophy of his defeat was completely justifiable at the time."

"True," Jane reluctantly agreed, while Darcy sighed and slowly nodded.

"Honestly we have very little evidence that he isn't still one, when you get right down to it," Bruce pointed out.

They watched silently as Loki tugged the sheets askew, then jumped up on the bed and wormed his way under them.

"Poor guy's sulking," Darcy said. "On the plus side, he only killed one pillow. I've seen Pomeranians do a lot worse when angry at their person."

"Huh... I think he's doing more than just sulking," Tony said, as the lump under the sheets suddenly increased drastically in size. "He's sleeping. Which based on experience to date means a new animal form when he wakes up in a few hours. I wouldn't bet on it being another dog."

"Neither would I," Bruce agreed.

"Oh, hey, did we get any spike on the sensor when he changed?" Tony suddenly thought to ask.

" _There may have been a spike at around that time, sir, but as unshielded as the sensor currently is, the waveform is noisy enough that there's no way of telling if that was from Loki changing shape or merely someone in a nearby building microwaving popcorn._ "

"Damn. Okay, so, one of the first things I need to get on is building a better version of this machine. And synthesizing more vibranium so we can try to construct some better sensor elements. Find a place for me to build it yet, Jarvis?"

" _I have three possibilities shortlisted and being reviewed by legal already, sir._ "

"Excellent work. Oh, and let me know when Loki wakes, would you?" he said, then frowned. "You guys hungry? I feel like I could eat again. How about we continue this talk over food; what would you guys like to eat?"

* * *

It was mid-evening, well after Jane had reclaimed her sensor and headed back to her own lab with Darcy, when Jarvis let Tony know that Loki had woken again. "I guess I better go see what he is now," Tony said, and sighed as he rose to his feet. "Just... it's not something lethal, is it? No velociraptor or anything horrible like that?"

There was a slight but noticeable pause before Jarvis answered. " _Not lethal to humans, certainly._ "

"That doesn't sound as reassuring as I wish it did. And I notice you said nothing about relative horribleness. Don't spoil it for me, I'm sure he'll be in a better mood if he does manage to startle, scare, or creep me out," Tony said.

Clint and Bruce exchanged a look, then rose to their feet as well. "We're coming with," Clint said firmly.

Tony nodded, and led the way across the room, then paused again at the foot of the stairs. "Oh, hell... okay, one spoiler allowed. He's not something like a camel spider, is he? Any form of spider, really. Please tell me there isn't a giant arachnid lurking in my bedroom."

" _No sir, he is neither an arachnid nor an arachnid-like creature,_ " Jarvis responded, sounding amused.

"Whew, okay, thank god for small mercies anyway," Tony said, and continued on up the stairs to his bedroom, Jarvis bringing up the lights as he entered. Tony paused just inside the doorway and looked around, Clint and Bruce stopping just behind him and doing the same.

"If he's still in bed he's something pretty small," Bruce said thoughtfully, and nodded towards the flattened sheets.

Tony snorted, then walked over to the bed and flipped back the sheets, but there wasn't anything there except a few shed hairs. "Not here. Jarvis, any hints?"

" _I believe he has taken refuge under your dresser, sir._ "

All three of them turned and looked at the article of furniture in question. There was only a gap of an inch or two between the underside of the dresser and the floor. Tony frowned. "I've seen enough horror movies to say with a great degree of certainty that I'm not attempting to peer under there. Or sticking my hand under, either."

"Chicken. Anyway, you're not thinking it through," Clint said, and walked over, then knelt down and pulled out the bottom drawer, lifting it free of its rails and carrying it a couple of steps to one side before setting it down.

Tony moved closer, leaning down a little to peer through the wide gap that removing the drawer had left open, trying to see into the space it had exposed, then yelped and jumped backwards, his foot skidding out from under him and causing him to fall heavily to the floor, as a long reptilian shape reared up and made a loud reverberant sound. He scrambled backwards before rising to his feet again. "Fuck! What the hell... is he a rattlesnake?" Tony asked anxiously, staring at the sizable snake swaying back and forth in the opening, its body contorted into a series of S-curves, clearly ready to strike. It had a ground of yellowish-beige scales with a pattern of dark brownish-black along its back and sides, the underside a slightly creamier shade without markings.

Bruce was already putting on his glasses and peering interestedly at it. "I don't believe that's a rattlesnake," he said after a moment.

Clint laughed, and moved forward. "No, not a rattlesnake," he agreed, then made a motion with his right hand towards it. The snake lunged for him, and he deftly caught it just back of the head with his left hand. "He's a bullsnake," he said, and began hauling Loki out of cover. "Constrictor-type snake, found mostly in grasslands areas from Texas up into the southern ends of Canada's prairie provinces. The Snake Lady at the circus had a couple. Loki's a nice big specimen... I'd say seven, maybe eight foot in length."

Loki hissed and lashed, and tried to pull himself back into cover, but Clint calmly and carefully reached into the dresser, and lifted out the rest of his tail, giving him nothing to exert leverage against. Loki thrashed around, then contorted himself to loop back and forth around Clint's forearm, not squeezing but so that his weight was at least supported rather than hanging free.

Bruce moved closer, peering right into the snake's mouth, which drew another long rattling hiss from Loki. "Fascinating," he said. "Such a loud sound from such a small animal."

Tony cautiously moved forward too. "So... like Jarvis said, not lethal to humans?"

"Not at all," Bruce said. "They eat small mammals, birds and reptiles, if I remember correctly."

"Lethal to gophers," Clint agreed. "They eat things that size or smaller."

"Alive? Please tell me we're not going to have to feed live food to him," Tony asked, feeling disturbed at the idea.

Clint grinned. "Nah. Not unless he stays in this form a lot longer than three days, and even then, you can feed them dead prey if you're squeamish. About all he's going to need is access to water."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Though if you don't want him showing up underfoot in weird places, an enclosure would also be a good idea. One large enough for shape-changing, of course."

Tony made a face. "Jarvis, how's work progressing on repairs and renovations to the common level?"

" _It will be several more days until work is complete, sir._ "

"All right, I guess he's still staying here with me for now then. Hopefully we can avoid stepping on him at least."

That drew another long rattling hiss from Loki.

"How the hell does he even do that?" Tony asked, staring.

Bruce smiled. "Bullsnakes have a special sort of epiglottis in the back of their throat; it projects outwards, like a flap or tube. They blow air past it to make a rattling sound, to try and convince attackers that they're a rattlesnake and should be avoided."

"They shake the end of their tail while they do it, too," Clint said. "They don't actually have a rattle, but if the tail tip is in something like dry leaves or grasses, the sound and motion can help with the imitation. Hey also flatten out their head to make it look more like the shape of a rattlesnake's head."

"So what you're telling me is that he's a tricksy bastard of a snake."

"Yeah," Clint agreed, grinning, and laughed when Loki hissed again. "And touchy."

"Yeah, well, few people enjoy being talked of as if they're not there," Bruce pointed out.

"True," Tony agreed. "Sorry Loki, but it's kind of difficult to do anything but talk around you when you're not really capable of participating in the conversation." He tilted his head a little to one side, looking thoughtfully at Loki. "At least he's not as scary-looking as that giant whatever-the-hell-it-was he turned into when he was a snake before."

"He was a green anaconda last time," Bruce said. "More snake than I feel comfortable handling."

"Same," Clint agreed. "Bullsnake is fine though," he said, and ran an admiring hand down Loki's back.

"What... what does he feel like?" Tony asked nervously.

Clint smiled and held his arm out, hand still holding Loki back of the head. "Touch him and find out."

Tony hesitated, then tentatively touched Loki's side. "Huh. Warmer then I expected."

"Just 'cause they're called cold-blooded doesn't mean they're cold," Clint said. "It just means their temperature is regulated more by their environment than by an internal thermostat. He'll get slow if its chilly, but room temperature is fine for him; not like a tropical snake which would need a heat source to be happy. Though a heat source won't harm him, either. Anyway, I'm going to put him down now, unless one of you two wants to hold him for a bit first?"

"No, thanks, I'm good," Bruce said.

"Same," Tony agreed, and edged back a little as Clint crouched down and released his grip on Loki, letting him slither into a pile on the floor. Loki didn't resume his threat display, but merely shifted around to curl up more comfortably, his head lifted to look back at the three of them.

"I think I need a drink," Tony said after a brief silence, and headed toward the stairs.

"I think I'll join you," Clint said, following him. "Got any beer?"

"Of course. Bruce?"

"No, thanks. I think I'll just head back to my own floor and read for a while. See you guys tomorrow," he called as he headed toward the elevator while they made their way toward the bar.

"Alright, good-night Bruce," Tony said.

"Night," Clint called as well.

The two of them were soon seated at the bar, Tony with some imported single malt that he wasn't sure whether or not he liked – the taste was a little peatier than he normally enjoyed – and Clint with a bottle of craft beer. Loki had followed them down, and was currently slithering his way around the edges of the room.

"Dated someone once who was terrified of cats," Tony said. "She claimed it was because the way they moved was too snake-like."

Clint leaned back to watch Loki for a moment. "They are both very sinuous animals," he agreed, very seriously.

Tony laughed. "I suppose. So... you and the Snake Lady?"

Clint grinned. "Not like that. I was fifteen and unhappy and she was a very... matronly older woman. I helped feed the snakes, and usually she'd have a spare sandwich or a slice of cake or something like that for me afterwards. Liked feeding me up; I was a skinny little brat."

"You're still little. Though maybe not skinny."

"Hey, I'm taller than you are."

"Not by very much."

"Almost an inch!"

"Why are we arguing about this?" Tony asked, pausing for a moment.

"I dunno. Because we're the two shortest members of the team?"

"Actually I think Agent is shorter."

"Phil, Tony, his name is Phil."

"How is Agent anyway?"

"Same as he was when you saw him yesterday; doing fine."

"Good. You'll let me know if there's anything he needs?"

"Of course. Oh, and he said to say thank you for the new pilates ball, but he doesn't really need three of them. Though it being painted to look like Captain America's shield amused him. Briefly."

"Good. That's very good. Jarvis, I don't see Loki any more, where is he?"

" _Climbing up a stool in the kitchen, sir._ "

Tony sighed, "Well, at least that's not underfoot. Jarvis, warn me if I ever seem to be in danger of stepping on him, 'kay? Or even just encountering him unexpectedly. I have to admit snakes aren't my favourite animals."

"Move too much like cats?" Clint asked, smiling, and drank the last of his beer.

Tony grinned. "Nice one."

"Yeah. Anyway, I'm heading off to bed. Night, Tony."

"Night, Clint," Tony responded, and slowly finished the remainder of his whiskey before going over and peering into his kitchen. Loki was curled up in the sink, his head resting on the counter. Tony checked that there was still water in his bowl, then headed off to bed as well.

* * *

Tony lay very still, considering, before he finally spoke, voice a sleepy mumble. "Jarvis... please tell me that whatever is draped over top of me is not a snake."

" _Would sir prefer a small white lie or an outright fabrication?_ "

Tony groaned. "Never mind. I'm... I'm just going to stick my head under a pillow and pretend there isn't a seven foot snake cuddling up to me," he said, and dragged a pillow over top of his head before going back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A good view and description of a bullsnake - <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd3OKHyvOSs>


	28. An Entirely Unsettling Fashion

Loki sensed the increase in heat as the sun rose outside the tower, the warmth of it slowly penetrating into the room. He didn't much care for the shift in senses that came with taking the form of a serpent, but it was fascinating to experience; the reduced hearing and vision, the increased sensitivity to temperature and vibration that partially made up for it, the greatly enhanced sense of smell, even stronger than he'd experienced in forms such as the dog. His tongue flickered constantly, tasting the air and transferring particles to the extremely sensitive smell receptors on the roof of his mouth. He could smell from that there was a small rodent somewhere in Tony's apartment; it seemed that even the tower's relative newness and inhospitable building materials were not entirely proof to the vermin. But he was not hungry; he would let it continue its existence, as long as it was not foolish enough to cross his path.

He lifted his head from where he was currently lying folded along Tony's side, and look curiously down at the sleeping man. The different patterns of heat across his skin betrayed things about his inner makeup, like the subsurface presence of the arteries in his neck, the slightly-more-than-skin-hot warmth of the inset arc reactor and the slightly cooler metal of the casing it was set in. There was an odd pattern of cool spots along his inner forearms, and a hot spot on his upper arm. He tasted around one of the cool spots, then nosed against the skin over it; the taste of metal, and something hard embedded under the skin, only a small scar betraying where it has been implanted. Something to do with Tony's machines, he guessed, perhaps the suits.

Tony would be waking soon. It would be fun to play another prank on him, perhaps hide somewhere unexpected... except Jarvis would know where he was, and would likely warn Tony. Bah. That was no fun.

He slid off the bed and made his way down to the kitchen, enjoying the way different surfaces felt as he slid across them, some easier to move across than others. The polished cement in the main room was annoyingly smooth, which made it difficult to get proper traction on, but the rough slate flooring in the kitchen was lovely to move across.

Climbing a stool again brought him up to counter height, and he spent some time just nosing around the canisters, cutting boards, fruit bowl and so forth stored there before setting his sights on a higher surface. A knife block gave him a good anchor and an initial lift, from which he was able to get his head up to the bottom edge of a framed print on the wall. He leaned into it, letting his belly scales flex to lift him a scale's-width higher at a time, head and neck slowly easing upwards again until he was able to engage his scales with the upper edge of the frame as well, body twisting sideways after that to stretch out along the top of it in the direction of the next picture in the set of three. He'd gotten as far as bridging the gap over and up to the next frame, half his body still dangling down the first frame and the last foot or so of his tail remaining braced against the knife block, when there was a squawk of surprise from the door.

Tony, he saw, and felt warmly amused at having managed to startle him again after all.

"Snakes can climb walls?" Tony asked. "Or is this just a Loki thing? Jarvis?"

" _Yes, sir, there are a number of snakes capable of climbing walls, bullsnakes among them, as long as the surface has enough imperfections for their scales to brace against and prevent backwards traction. Even a smooth surface such as glass may not always impede them, as most snakes can lift as much as two-thirds of their body length merely by bracing it against the surface, though there is a decided tendency to fall over sideways._ "

"Do I want to know why snakes can climb walls? Or is it a really creepy reason?"

" _Only creepy if you're a bird or rodent, sir. As well as small mammals, many snakes also eat birds and eggs, and they will climb trees, or the walls of houses, sheds and barns, to get at the nests._ "

"Right," Tony said, and grimaced. "Coffee. I definitely need coffee," he said, and made his way over to the machine to start it brewing.

Loki resumed his travels, and was draped across the tops of all three frames, eyeing the gap remaining to the top of the fridge, by the time someone else walked in. Clint, who merely glanced Loki's direction, then headed over to pour himself a mug of coffee and join Tony in watching Loki's antics.

"Why didn't you tell me snakes can climb walls?" Tony asked him.

Cling shrugged. "You never asked?"

"I didn't know to ask!"

"Yeah, well... now you know. Cool, right?"

"In an entirely unsettling fashion, yes."

Loki tuned them out, concentrating on stiffening his neck and slowly levering it out across the remaining gap. It was an odd feeling, keeping some parts of his body rigid and others almost lax, so that he could slide smoothly from frame to frame while bridging forwards. Finally his head touched down on the edge of the fridge. The top surface was thankfully of a textured plastic, not the brushed metal of the doors, and gave him enough traction that he easily able to brace his scales against it and draw the rest of his body over, until all of him was curled up on top of it, enjoying the pleasing warmth and faint vibration of his perch.

* * *

"He reminds me of you," Tony said to Clint.

Clint grinned. "Because he likes the high places?"

"Yeah. Who's on breakfast today?"

"You," Clint said.

"Hell no, I buy the groceries and supply the kitchen, I don't have to cook. Or clean."

"Well, Natasha is having brunch with Phil this morning, Steve is still sleeping, Bruce did breakfast yesterday... so it's you or me, unless you want to wait until Captain Sleeping Beauty wakes, and a little bird told me he was up real late last night."

Tony sighed. "A little bird with red hair who may also have been up real late with him?"

"Yes. So, unless you want to risk my cooking..."

"Okay, fine, I'll cook, since it's that or toaster pastries, and I think those all died along with the kitchen downstairs."

"Alas, poor Pop Tarts, Thor knew them well. Speaking of our resident Thunder God, I wonder why he's not back from Asgard yet. Or even sent any word. It's been, what, over a month now?"

"Just over," Tony agreed as he took ingredients out of the fridge and cupboards. "Start some toast going, would you? Two pieces each."

"Sure," Clint said. "What are we having?

"Curried cheese omelets on toast."

"Sounds edible."

"They will be, if you don't distract me," Tony said, and started breaking eggs into a mixing bowl. He didn't really _mind_ cooking, it's just he was best at it when he was only cooking for himself, no pressure at all, and even then he usually had to rely on Jarvis keeping an eye on things in case he got distracted.

Though this wasn't bad, sharing the kitchen with Clint while he whipped eggs together with seasonings and cream and got the omelets cooking. Clint being an even worse cook than he was meant that Clint wasn't likely to have high expectations as to what Tony made, and between the two of them they were soon sitting down to quartered omelets layered on toast with slices of a nice sharp cheddar melting into the toast under them.

"Not bad," Clint said after trying his first bite.

Tony just nodded, his mouth too full of breakfast to respond. He glanced over to the fridge, where Loki was still mostly curled up in a pile, though he was nosing around the edges as if looking for what to do next. "So what does one do to keep a snake entertained?" he asked.

Clint shrugged. "Not much, that I know of. The Snake Lady usually kept hers in their terrariums, though she'd let them each out for a while every day, so there was usually one wandering around somewhere in her trailer. She kept it snake-proofed so they couldn't get into anywhere that was dangerous to them, not that that always stopped them. The friendlier snakes would usually hang out with her... on her, more accurately. Draped across her shoulders or curled up in her lap while she watched TV, that sort of thing. Mostly they'd either explore, or find some place warm to curl up and bask for a while."

"So pretty much what Loki's already doing."

"Pretty much. Though being Loki and not a real bullsnake I'm sure he'll want to do more than just lie around in the warm."

Tony grinned. "You're probably right," he said, and pushed aside his empty plate. "Hey, Loki... I'm going down to the lab for the day. Want to come?"

Loki's head turned in his direction, then the snake lowered himself down off of the fridge in a long cascade, his head touching the ground shortly before the remainder of his body spilled down to the floor with a loud thump.

"I'd call that a yes," Clint said.

"Yeah, so would I," Tony agreed, looking down to where Loki was coiling himself up near the foot of Tony's stool, head raised to give him what Tony could only think of as an expectant look. He got up and put his plate in the dishwasher, nodded good-bye to Clint, and headed off to the elevators, Loki following along behind.

* * *

Loki quickly found that the reduced vision and hearing of the snake made using the internet too difficult, but for once he didn't find himself bored without it. For some reason, Tony's robots were fascinated by his latest form, Dummy very curious and wanting to get close and examine him, while Butterfingers and You hung back, watching with equal interest but nervously backing away any time Loki wandered closer to them.

"Do _not_ grab the snake, Dummy," Tony called out loudly from where he was standing at a workbench, almost up to the elbows inside the electronic guts of some machine. "He's delicate. Like an egg, or a light bulb, okay?"

Loki was certain that he was actually considerably tougher than either of those things – he was, after all, a god, whatever his current shape – though he appreciated that with his magic leashed he was not as durable as he normally would be, so perhaps it was for the best that Tony's creations had been warned to be gentle in handling him. He watched as Dummy slowly reached toward a twist of his body, and twitched it out of reach just as Dummy's three-pronged claw was about to touch it. The pinchers made a little motion – a droop of the rotating base, and a slight close-and-open flexing of the prongs – that he'd already come to read as disappointment. He slid another curl of his body closer, and this time let Dummy's hand grasp it.

The robot had clearly listened to Tony; it's grip was very gentle, almost featherlight. Too light, in fact; when Dummy started to raise his claw, to try and lift Loki, he slid right out of it. Dummy's head backed away and then forward again – frustrated, or perhaps intrigued – and when the robot gripped Loki again, it was with a somewhat firmer touch. This time the robot succeeded in moving a loop of Loki's body, lifting it a little over a foot into the air, before Loki flattened himself and slid free again. He offered Dummy another loop of his body, and for a while they played together, Dummy lifting different bits of him into the air, the other two robots moving closer but not seeming interested in touching him themselves.

It was close to noon, Loki enjoying riding around the lab draped back and forth over top of Dummy's arm, the two smaller robots running away from them, when Jarvis suddenly spoke.

" _Sir, Director Fury has just arrived at the building and is asking to speak with you. Agent Coulson is on his way downstairs to the lobby to meet him._ "

"I take it that's the sort of asking that actually means demanding?"

" _Yes, sir._ "

"All right, lab time is over with for now I guess. Let Loki and I get back upstairs before you allow him up," Tony said. "Dummy, stand still, play time's over," he ordered. "Come on, Loki"

Loki slithered down and followed Tony. Traction was good in the lab, with its textured industrial rubber flooring, but the hallway was harder going, and they weren't even halfway to the elevators before Tony made an exasperated sound and bent down.

"I think I better carry you," he said, and gingerly grasped Loki back of the head with his right hand and several feet further back with the left, then carefully stood up. Loki quickly redistributed himself so that most of him was being supported in a loose back-and-forth drape over Tony's left forearm, and rested his head and neck on Tony's right hand and arm. Tony moved a little stiffly at first, holding his arms a little out from his torso; clearly he was not entirely comfortable with Loki's current form. He relaxed a little during the elevator ride up, and by the time they entered the main room of his penthouse was supporting Loki's lengthy body against himself.

"Stay out of sight unless I call you," he told Loki as he crouched down and let him slither down to the floor.

Loki glanced around, then glided across the floor, up the stairs to the bar area, and out of sight behind it.

* * *

"What do you want, Nick?" Tony asked as soon as the man entered the room, Phil trailing along behind, knowing the familiarity would annoy him.

"An explanation," Fury said, ignoring Tony to walk right by him, striding over to the seating area. He had a document folder in hand, and started pulling photos out of it, snapping them down one by one in a row on the coffee table.

"Natasha walking a fancy dog in Central Park, whom she called by the name Loki. You in your lab after the recent attack, with a different dog you also addressed as Loki. Steve jogging with a third dog. Also named, guess what, Loki! You going to try and claim this is some strange coincidence, or explain to me just what the hell is going on? Which I have a rather nasty suspicion boils down to a certain supervillain being back in our midst, and none of you thinking to tell me about it."

"Oh, we thought about telling you, but decided against it," Tony said flippantly, and made his way over to the bar. "Drink, Nick? Agent, a drink for you?"

"This is not happy hour, Stark, this is very unhappy Fury hour."

"Ginger ale, please," Phil said, his expression on the just-barely-amused side of deadpan. Tony shot him a grin and poured him one before grabbing the scotch bottle to pour his own drink.

Fury shot a non-too-pleased look in Coulson's direction. "Don't think I'm happy with you either, Agent Coulson," he said sharply, a sign that he was in a particularly foul mood, since usually he referred to him as Phil. "You knew about this and failed to make any report about it."

Phil gave a slight shrug as Tony walked over and handed him his ginger ale. " _Officially_ the Avengers are not part of SHIELD, but instead independent allies who are recognized by SHIELD and given some administrative and legal support by us. When you assigned me to them you gave me free rein to make my own decisions over what information about them and their inner workings I did or didn't share with SHIELD. In this case I felt that their reasoning for sequestering the knowledge of Loki's presence among us was valid, and that my loyalty to them overrode any need to know of SHIELD's."

"And that reasoning?" Fury all but growled.

Tony smiled at him. "Because Thor asked _us_ to look after Loki, Nick... us, as in his fellow Avengers. I am personally sworn to protect and guard Loki from all harm, and others from any harm he might attempt, until such time as Thor returns to retrieve him. And that means he stays here, in my tower, under my supervision, not getting whisked off to some secret SHIELD facility somewhere to be locked up and probed and prodded."

"He's a criminal responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people. You don't think that might deserve something worse than lounging around in luxury with you?"

"He's a criminal who was returned for trial to his native jurisdiction, and is still undergoing punishment by their laws. His stay here in my custody is only temporary, and unless you want to cause a diplomatic incident with Asgard, not to mention pissing me off, you won't try and touch him."

"And just what's to stop him from using his magic to break free and wreak havoc a second time? He clearly still has magic, judging by the variety of shapes he seems to have been appearing in," Fury said, waving at the photos.

Tony grinned. "Wreak havoc... who actually talks like that? Other than Thor and friends, anyway. Or Shakespearean actors maybe. But the answer is that he doesn't have any control over his magic right now. Or at least very little control. Thor anticipated that we wouldn't be very delighted about the idea of a Trickster god among us, so Loki's magic has been bound; it isn't by any real choice of his that he's been running around with four legs and fur the last few weeks. It's part of what keeps his magic contained; he still has a little, but most of it's been locked up or blocked, and he's been forced to stay in animal forms, which limits what he can do with whatever remains. At least according to Thor."

"Uh-huh. I'd like to meet this wonder-pooch."

"Well, he's actually not too much on the four legs and fur at the moment, but sure. Come out here, Loki," Tony called, and turned expectantly toward the bar.

Loki slid out, taking his time and not hurrying, moving straight out to the side until he was fully in view before finally turning toward them and sliding down the stairs. It was kind of impressive, really, making it clear just how long he was; longer than any of them were tall, and by almost two feet at that. He s-curved his way over and piled up into a coil by Tony's feet, before turning to look up at Fury, at which point he gave one of those loud rattling hisses, head tilting downwards.

"Interesting," Fury said, and just stood staring back at Loki for an uncomfortably long time, neither of them blinking. Which you expected from a snake but made Tony's eyes want to water in sympathy for Fury's one unblinking eye. Finally Fury looked back up at Tony again. "All right. I'll accept that even if we wanted to, he's not in a form that's conducive to us questioning him. I would still prefer if you'd brought this information to me earlier."

"As many people as there are at SHIELD who have a personal reason to want Loki dead or damaged, much less those in the greater populace, we felt it was better to keep quiet about his presence here on earth," Phil said calmly.

"And you count me among that number. The people with a personal reason."

Phil shrugged. "Of course I do. Those were your people that died because of him. If you could have kept Loki and the tesseract here and seen that he was punished our way, short of causing an incident with Thor and potentially all of Asgard, you would have done it in a heartbeat. Most of your anger right now is because you'd prefer to strangle him with your own hands than risk him harming anyone again.

Fury stared at him from a long moment, then gave a small shrug and relaxed. "Probably, yeah. I'm less than happy about his presence here now, even if he has, as you people claim, been bound in some way to be essentially harmless."

"I'm not exactly dancing with joy about it either, Nick," Phil said, making a slight one-handed gesture at his motionless legs. "Believe me that if I thought his presence here was a danger, I'd be taking steps about it."

"All right, Phil. I'll continue to trust your judgement. Just try and give me some warning if things go pear-shaped," he said, then turned and glared at Tony again. "I'd ask for regular reports but I have a feeling you're unlikely to give me any, Stark."

Tony grinned. "You know me so well."

"So how long are you going to be stuck with this house guest?" Fury asked, looking back down at Loki again, who'd stopped hissing and was merely sitting motionless now, head turning occasionally as he watched the three of them.

Tony frowned. "Thor never said; a while, anyway. He's been here over a month now."

"A month? And just why did Thor decide to dump Loki on you, anyway?" Fury asked.

"Asgard was busy going to war, he felt it would be safer for Loki to be held here than there."

Fury's eyebrows rose. "War? Against who? Why?"

"Um," Tony said, and looked guiltily down at Loki. "Remember the aliens that invaded here? Them. Apparently they tried to steal Loki out of prison on Asgard. And failed, obviously."

Fury tensed, and stared at Tony. "Let me get this straight. Loki's allies tried to break him out of jail on

Asgard; the same allies that trashed a sizable chunk of Manhattan a year ago, and yet you _don't_ think that Loki's presence here is a danger to this city and its inhabitants?"

"It sounds so wrong when you put it that way," Tony said. "Except they're not his allies any more, according to what Thor told us. Ex-allies. Of the want-to-kill-him-slowly-and-very-painfully variety."

"And this makes things better how?" Fury asked coldly. "Especially when I don't have all that much reason to disagree with their goal."

"Well, they didn't succeed in grabbing Loki but they _did_ succeed in pissing off Odin and company, who apparently takes things like alien intrusions onto Asgard as a lethally serious matter. Whatever the chitauri are up to at the moment, it's more likely to involve fleeing screaming from Aesir warriors and dying in entertainingly horrible ways than plotting a return to earth, even if they had any reason to think Loki was here instead of still locked up somewhere in Asgard."

"I will note that _more likely_ is not the same as a saying they can't be doing both at once," Fury pointed out. "It still boils down to you sitting here in the middle of a very large and heavily populated area with a war criminal who not only has earned the rightful ire of almost everyone within a large radius of here, but also has a target painted on his back that could well draw an alien invasion here a second time. Perhaps you begin to understand why I suddenly find myself having second thoughts about agreeing to leave him here in your custody?"

"And a slightly increased chance of an alien invasion is different how than almost any other day in this city? The craziness has only gotten worse since the battle, we deal with incidents almost on an 'it's Tuesday, so this must be power-hungry mutants day' basis. Those Doombots last week may have been a bit more spectacularly noticeable than some of the things we've taken out, but you can't tell me that our presence here has done _worse_ for this city than our absence would."

Fury scowled. "You're right, I can't tell you that, though there are those who argue that your very noticeable presence here draws in the criminal element; they see you guys as a challenge."

"I'd have to admit there might be some truth to that, when even Dictator-King-for-Life of pipsqueak European countries I've never even heard of before are making an effort to attack us. What bothers me is not knowing what this Doctor Doom character was after; despite all the damage those robots did, they didn't seem to have any real goal in mind; they certainly didn't touch my lab. Or Bruce's. Just a lot of random damage until we finished them off."

"And you're sure they weren't after your guest?" Fury asked, glancing down at Loki again.

"Nope. Some got close to where he was, but as far as we could tell they only became interested in that area because Jarvis was putting up an extra-strong defence around it; and even that was more due to it being where his remotes were stored than... huh."

"Hit by an idea, Tony?" Phil asked softly.

"Maybe. He attacked us with robots. I have robots too, though mine despite their age have far better AI, and Jarvis' remotes are very advanced as far as non-intelligent robots go. Maybe it's the working tech he was after; either the remotes, or Jarvis, or both. Most people who know about Jarvis' presence here would naturally assume that his data centre is very heavily shielded and would be well-guarded in the event of an attack. Maybe the doombots were simply led astray from what their true target was because Jarvis' strongest defences weren't protecting what Doctor Doom assumed they would be."

"If that's the case than you can expect additional attacks in future," Phil pointed out. "Possibly physical, possibly by electronic means if it's Jarvis he's after."

Ton grimaced. "Yeah. Hopefully less of an in-your-face attack, I don't want to get repairs to the common level finished up just in time to have another invasion of killer robots waltz in and shoot up the place again. I guess I'd better ramp up Jarvis' security routines, in case of attempts to hack in to him, and I'd appreciate it if SHIELD gave me a head's up on any suspicious movement in or out of Latveria – or do you think he might be producing his robots more locally to us?"

"We have our suspicions," Fury admitted. "I'll see what I can send you, but I want a favour in return."

"Regular reports about Loki?"

"Yes, regular reports about Loki."

"Fine. I'll have Jarvis remind me once a week. Or he could just contact you directly."

"I thought I told you to keep your AI out of my computer systems?"

"Contact you by _phone_ , Fury. Or email. I might even still have a working fax-modem laying around in storage somewhere I could dust off if you like antique tech. He could even print off something and send it by courier if you want to get really old-fashioned about it."

"Phone is fine, assuming Jarvis uses a scrambled line. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of dealing with Jarvis rather than you, Stark. He at least has good manners."

" _Thank you, Director Fury._ "

"He even takes a compliment well. And on that note, I think I'm going to leave before I start feeling even less sane than your presence usually makes me feel. Phil, with me please."

"Of course, sir."

The two left. Tony looked down at Loki, who was now piled up around Tony's shoes, his head resting against Tony's left ankle. "Lunch, I think, and then back to the lab. Mind moving out of the way before I trip over you?"

Loki slid aside, then headed over to where the sunshine was casting a pool of light on the floor just inside the windows, and stretched himself out in it to bask.

"Just like a cat," Tony said, amused, and headed off to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich.


	29. Fraying Edges

Tony knotted the drawstring of his sleep pants, then turned and looked at the bed. Loki had already slid up on top of it, and was busy arranging himself in a neat coil on one of the pillows. Tony wrinkled his nose, and considered declaring the bed off-limits to snakes, but really, snakes weren't that bad. Dry and smooth to the touch, the temperature of their body varying from a little too cool to a little too warm, very quiet... still a bit creepy, yeah, but the memory of Dummy charging around the lab wearing the snake like a hat tended to remove a large portion of any unease he might have otherwise had. Dummy usually showed excellent taste in playmates; he'd never liked Obadiah, but had all but climbed into Steve's lap the first time Rogers had visited the lab, and seemed to damn near worship Bruce. So, that Dummy had decided that Loki was now an playmate slash acceptable toy slash article of apparel or whatever; well, it was at least food for thought.

Besides, Loki hadn't hurt any of them in the month plus that he'd now been here, and surely there wasn't really any significant difference between letting dog-Loki sleep on his bed and sharing it with snake-Loki. If it really bothered him he'd have ignored the furry exterior and puppy eyes and made Loki sleep on the floor, or better yet, somewhere downstairs. It would be kind of silly to change his mind now just because he wasn't entirely comfortable with snakes. Though he'd definitely have to draw a line if Loki ever changed into a spider. Or anything that scuttled, really. In fact when compared to anything with too many legs, a snake was damn near _cuddly_.

He still found himself tensing up a little getting into bed, but thankfully Loki seemed content to remain curled up on the pillow he was already occupying. Tony settled down comfortably, thinking about Fury's visit. He was a little relieved that Fury had figured it out and now knew about Loki's presence, truth be told. They had all become a little too comfortable with having Loki around, after all, and it couldn't hurt to have someone aware of his presence who wasn't being exposed to him on a pretty much daily basis. Loki's famed silver tongue might be bound, but there were other ways to lie than with words, as expert manipulators such as Natasha could easily prove. While Tony _wanted_ to believe that Loki's stay among them and the animal forms he'd been taking had been slowly influencing Loki's behaviour, it's not impossible that it was all an elaborate fake, that Loki was coldly, calculatingly manipulating them all instead. It might even be that the real answer was somewhere in between the two, that all of them were having their expectations and emotions altered by their unexpected and lengthy cohabitation.

He rolled on his side, and looked at Loki. Loki's head stirred a little, turning to focus one unblinking eye on him. "Fury's right, you know," he found himself saying. "Your presence here does mean that there's at least a small chance that the chitauri will show up here looking for you. If they know or guess you're here. If they can get here short of someone on this end using the tesseract or something like it to open a portal for them again. If they can even spare the manpower to try and snatch you while Asgard is at war with them. If Asgard hasn't already beaten them into a pulp. If they haven't changed their mind about just how much they want revenge on you. A whole lot of ifs, but... not impossible. Is it." A statement, not a question.

Loki didn't respond verbally, of course, but the way he shifted himself into a tighter spiral seemed to speak volumes. Tony sighed. "Look... I promised Thor to be your... your handler, and to protect you. I keep my promises, and whatever any of us feel about you, the team's got my back on this. But, if the chitauri do show up? It might really help if you've told us anything you can about them first. I know you can't talk, but there are such things as keyboards, and your interface to Jarvis includes one. You've already demonstrated that you can read, how about, oh, I don't know... taking a stab at writing some time. Give it some thought, anyway," he said, then sighed and rolled over onto his other side, facing away from Loki.

There was silence for a few minutes, then the faint rasp of scales sliding over sheets, and the pressure of Loki's long body pressing up against his back and legs, followed by a faint weight across the top of his hip. Tony glanced down and saw that Loki was resting his head and a bit of his neck there. "You know, that's not nearly as cute as when you did that as a dog," he said sleepily, and let his head drop back down to the pillow.

* * *

Tony startled awake, blearily aware of sound and motion going on nearby that shouldn't be. An intruder, was his first thought, and he moved away from the source of the sound before realizing it was Loki; in human form, and, it seemed, in the middle of a nightmare. He froze for a moment, thinking of how poorly he himself sometimes reacted on being woken from his own nightmares, then as Loki gave another pained whimper, reached over and shook his shoulder anyway.

Loki cried out, waking and jerking away, staring wide-eyed at Tony.

Tony stared back, feeling about equally wide-eyed; Loki was awake, and still in his human form.

"What...?" Loki said, voice sounding raspy and disused.

"You were having a nightmare," Tony told him. "You okay?" He managed to keep his voice reasonably calm, but his mind was racing, wondering how much danger he might be in, whether or not he needed to have Jarvis sound an alarm or be signalling for his suit.

"I... yes, I am fine," Loki said. He lifted one of his hands, staring at it and slowly flexing his fingers, before reaching up to pat at his own face. "Oh," he said softly, sounding surprised. And then fainted, or went back to sleep, something that has him dropping limply down on the bed again anyway. He changed again, back into a snake, draped in an inelegant sprawl across the bedding; a different snake, considerably smaller, though that was all Tony could see at present.

"Lights, Jarvis," Tony ordered, and scrubbed a hand down his face. "What time is it? And did you catch the last few minutes?"

" _Yes sir. It is twelve after four in the morning._ "

As Tony watched, Loki stirred again. He was only a little over a couple of feet in length now, and pretty spectacularly coloured, in black-edged scales that shaded from a vibrant green on his head and neck to a warm red-gold on his tail, his underside a buttery cream colour. "Wow," Tony said. "Jarvis, do you think he's venomous or non-venomous?"

There was a slight but noticeable pause before Jarvis responded. " _I believe he may be a speckled racer, sir... non-venomous. I would need a closer view of him to be certain._ "

Tony nodded. "Well, no point in going back to sleep," he said, and rolled out of bed, heading into the bathroom to shower and shave. He checked the arm injury, which seemed pretty well-healed now but was still a little swollen and sore to the touch. He dressed in blue jeans and a red tank top, and pulled a black button-down shirt on over top, then walked back over to the bed, where Loki was piled up in a heap in the middle of the bed. "I'm heading down to the lab, do you want a lift downstairs or would your prefer to stay up here today?"

Loki lifted his head and looked at Tony for a moment, then uncurled and moved over to the edge of the bed. When Tony reached down to pick him up, Loki wrapped himself around Tony's hand and wrist. Tony lifted him up an took a closer look at him, and found himself smiling. "You look like something from a high-end jeweller's shop," he told Loki.

He headed downstairs to his lab, setting Loki down on his workbench before digging a couple of frozen burritos out of the freezer to heat up for his breakfast. He started the coffee maker running before sitting back to work on building his own version of Dr Foster's sensor machine. His was going to be much better than hers, of course, since his would incorporate Jarvis along with a ton of extra sensors that would allow Jarvis to perform the equivalent of noise-cancelling on the results of the sensor element. Basically in addition to shielding the element from external energy sources as much as was possible, the machine would also track any energy sources that might still be affecting the output, and Jarvis could then subtract the variations caused by them from the waveform, for a much cleaner final signal. At least that was the theory, if Tony could get it all working correctly.

Loki explored the top of the workbench for a while, sliding around and poking his nose into the assorted components and bits of partially-assembled electronics that were scattered across the bench. Dummy came over and watched him for a while, but didn't seem to want to resume the games they'd been playing the day before; perhaps because Loki was so much smaller now.

Tony took a short break for once in mid-morning, sitting tilted back in his chair while nibbling on some puff pastry appetizers he'd heated for a snack, while waiting for a fresh pot of coffee to brew. Loki came over to where Tony had one of his feet braced up on the edge of the workbench, nosed interestedly around his ankle for a moment, and then flowed up onto his leg. Tony froze, stopping in mid-chew to watch as Loki glided along the length of his shin and thigh before coiling up in a loose pile on Tony's thigh and stomach, his head nosing at Tony's clothing.

Tony swallowed the bit of food still in his mouth. "Going exploring?" he asked hesitantly. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this."

Loki's head lifted and looked at him, then the snake flowed up the front of his torso, nosing briefly at the crystal bead necklace before slipping under the collar of the shirt and gliding around the back of his neck and out the other side.

"Jarvis, you're sure he's not a constrictor, right?" Tony asked as Loki settled himself in a couple of loose loops draped from shoulder to shoulder around the base of Tony's neck.

" _I suspect he's in search of heat, sir. Your lab is a little on the cool side for his current species to enjoy._ "

"Great. So now I'm a space heater," Tony said, and popped another appetizer in his mouth, chewing and swallowing hastily before setting aside the now-empty plate and rising to his feet. Loki's weight shifted a little as he did so, but the feeling of it wasn't unpleasant or anything like that; just a little unsettling, knowing what Loki was. Tony poured himself some coffee, and turned to find Dummy right behind him, the robot's head/hand just inches from him, camera seemingly focused on where Loki's body and head were visible at the front of his shirt. Tony found himself smiling. "Looks like it's my turn to wear him today, Dummy," he told the robot. "Come on, out of the way, time for me to get back to work."

* * *

It was curiosity more than any need of warmth that drew Loki to investigate the bead still strung around Tony's neck. He shouldn't have been able to wake in human form, not without changing form first, but there had been a definite delay between Tony waking him from his nightmare of his time in the Other's hands, and him being forced into this second snake form. Such a change might mean that the artifact and the spell bound within it were beginning to degrade; it was after all only a temporary thing, reasonably durable of its kind, but not meant to hold forever.

Tony's tenseness as he flowed up the man's body to check on it amused him. He nosed at the bead, then slid himself along the length of the cord it was strung on, extending what little magic he had left to him to check the integrity and potency of the spell. It was still quite tightly-woven, but yes... the faintest hints of fraying were visible. Not in the actual physical structure of the cord, but in the pattern of energies it anchored. It would continue to hold for some time yet, but if Thor was long enough delayed before returning to either retrieve Loki or recast the binding with a fresh artifact... he would be free.

He settled himself in loops around Tony's neck, tucked up against the necklace, enjoying the warmth of Tony's skin against his own as he considered this new development, and whether or not there might be anything he could do to hasten the dissolution of the binding. There had been no point in attempting anything while it was fresh and strong, still perfect, but now that it was beginning to fade and fray... yes. It was, he decided, time to start subtly fighting the binding. Wear it out, deplete its energies. Try and force it to break earlier than it might of otherwise.

While he gave consideration to ways in which that might be accomplished, he watched Tony at work, finding his viewpoint from just under the man's chin to be a pleasingly good one, even with his reduced eyesight. It was interesting to watch the speed and skill with which Stark worked, blunt-fingered hands moving steadily as he brought together bits and pieces of machinery, joining them together with some goal in mind.

At one point Tony paused, putting down his tools, and moved over to a collection of interfaces that hung in mid-air to one side. His hands flew through the air, sculpting a shape out of light, and a little while after he resumed his seat Butterfingers brought him that shape made real, a complex bent form of metals and plastics that a number of the smaller assemblies he'd been creating slotted into neatly. He was clearly a craftsman; an artisan, adept with his hands.

" _Sir, Captain Rogers has asked me to let everyone know that he's making soup for lunch today._ " Jarvis suddenly announced.

Tony paused in his work and looked up. "What kind of soup?"

" _Beef barley vegetable, I believe. He's baking rolls to go with it._ "

"Sweet, count me in. Let me know when it's time to go eat."

" _Of course, sir._ "

Tony resumed work, but it wasn't very much later before Jarvis announced that the rolls were out of the oven and the table being set, and Tony headed back upstairs.

"Interesting necklace, Tony," Bruce said as he sat down beside him. "Starting a new fashion?"

Loki lifted his head as Tony laughed. "I'd forgotten he was even there," Tony said, and reached up to touch his fingertips to Loki for a moment. "Surprisingly comfortable, once you get used to him, though I doubt live snakes are a fashion just anyone can pull off."

"He's a pretty specimen," Clint said, leaning over for a better look. "Don't think I know that type."

"Jarvis said he thinks he's a speckled racer."

"I've seen those," Bruce said, taking out his glasses and putting them on then leaning forward to take a closer look at Loki. "They're found from southern Texas down through Central America. Looks like one, though not the same colour morph I've encountered; it's the blue-green ones I've seen before,not a green-brown like that."

"Met a lot of snakes, have you?" Tony asked, sounding amused.

Bruce shrugged, putting his glasses away and returning to spreading butter on a split roll. "Spend as much time hiking around in the wilds as I have, and you learn to brush up on local snakes, spiders, frogs and so. Not a bright idea to take shelter from the rain under a manchineel tree, or get too touchy-feely with a poison dart frog."

"Ow, yeah... manchineel is nasty stuff," Clint agreed. "One of my earliest assignments with SHIELD, I got flown south to replace a sniper who'd made the mistake of trying to climb one to get a bead on his target. Didn't kill him but the blistering scarred pretty badly."

Loki tuned out their conversation after a while, more interested in his own thoughts that theirs. He thought he knew what would be the best way to wear down the binding spell faster; change forms as often as he could. Every time he slept and woke, the binding had to expend at least a little energy to enforce his shape-change from animal to human and back again. What he needed was a form that could sleep several times in a day. And he knew just the one to aim for. Tomorrow, though... for now, it was pleasant to just stay where he was.


	30. Dark Side Pays Better

Tony put down his soldering tools and stretched, yawning. It was still only early evening, but having slept so little the night before he was already at the point where he needed to either go to bed or brew another pot of coffee. He stood staring at the bits and pieces spread out on the bench for a moment, running his thumb thoughtfully along Loki's back, then sighed and turned away, heading for the elevators. "No point pulling an all-nighter, I can't do much more until I get some vibranium synthesized anyway, and that's going to take some time yet. Jarvis, how's the land acquisition going?"

" _Quite well, sir. The paperwork and permissions should be finished by tomorrow morning, and crews can undertake modification of the facility to contain the particle accelerator the next day. I used the parameters of the particle accelerator you'd constructed in Malibu to rough out blueprints for Ms Potts._ "

"Modification? We're not building new?" Tony asked as he stepped into the elevator.

" _No, sir. You'd made it clear that the priority on this project was speed, and building from scratch would have required over a month in order to allow for things like the proper curing of concrete. The land being purchased happens to contain an existing building that can be modified to accommodate the accelerator in under a week._ "

"See, this is why I like you Jarvis, you remember the details like that. You're an excellent project manager."

" _Thank you, sir._ "

Tony was mildly surprised to find his penthouse deserted, having had people up here so frequently since the destruction of the common floor. "Where is everyone?"

" _Captain Rogers and Ms Romanov have gone out, Dr Banner is visiting with Agent Coulson, and Mr Barton was called out on a SHIELD assignment this afternoon and does not expect to return for several days._ "

Tony snorted, then reached up to touch his fingertips to Loki again. "Looks like it's just you and me tonight, Kaa. Let's go see what leftovers lurk in the depths of the fridge. Not that you're getting any of them since, you know, _snake._ "

He ended up having leftover soup and a couple of sandwiches, while reading some of the scientific articles that Jarvis had collected into his reading queue. He flagged a handful of them as being subjects he'd like to see additional data on, and sent a message to Pepper asking her to look into hiring the writer on one that he found particularly intriguing, then cleaned up from his meal and headed upstairs.

He'd started the bathtub filling and was partway through undressing, down to just his tank top and boxers, before he glanced in the mirror and realized he'd once again forgotten about having Loki draped around his neck. Which was pretty damn weird, realizing that he'd become so used to Loki's presence in his general vicinity that he'd started completely tuning him out, as if he trusted the guy. _Trust_ was not a term he was all that willing to apply to that bag of cats. Trust the spell holding him, maybe, and even that not really since, hey, he didn't believe in magic. Not in magic as magic anyway. Magic as very advanced, currently-beyond-his-ken science, a very qualified maybe.

"You're not taking a bubble bath with me, Sir Hiss," he said as he unwrapped Loki from around his neck and set him down on the counter. "Do snakes even bathe?"

" _All snakes swim, sir, and many captive snakes appear to enjoy soaking in water, especially prior to shedding. Some snake owners allow their snakes regular swimming time in their bathtub._ "

"Not sharing my tub with a snake, no matter how pretty you are," Tony said to Loki. "Though if you want to soak I suppose I could fill the sink for you." Loki slid over and nosed at the taps, which Tony chose to interpret as a yes. He filled the sink with a few inches of lukewarm water, then finished stripping off and lowered himself into his own tub, sighing in pleasure as the jacuzzi jets came on. He lay back and soaked for a good long time, then washed and pumiced, and finished off with a long hot shower and shampoo, emerging at last feeling squeaky clean from head to toes, bright pink from the heat as he wrapped himself in a towelling robe.

Loki was still occupying the sink, his head supported above the water on one coil of his body. Tony evicted him so that he could brush his teeth, and was amused when he emerged from the bathroom to find that Loki had already managed to climb up on the bed and coil up on a pillow again. Tony changed into pyjama bottoms and made himself comfortable on the bed, and wasn't surprised when Loki moved from the pillow to curl up by his feet, his head resting on Tony's ankle, a weight so light that Tony could only barely feel it.

The weight got a lot heavier a short time later, when Loki fell asleep before Tony did. He eased his foot out from under the other man's head, and twitched a fold of the top sheet over him to decently figleaf him, then closed his eye and tried to get to sleep as well. Despite his earlier tiredness, sleep now seemed to be eluding him, his thoughts instead bouncing erratically around between an assortment of plans and worries; an idea for an improved coating for the suit's exterior that should help reduce atmospheric drag and resultant friction heating with the bonus of slightly increasing his top speed, tentative plans for several differently shaped sensor elements to manufacture once he had the particle accelerator up and running, some consideration given to wondering what this Doctor von Doom fellow might try next if it really was Jarvis or Tony's robotics he was after, a tentative design for a commercially viable version of his food heater...

A gasp from Loki's direction broke his chain of thought. A glance that way showed a faint frown on the god's face. Loki stirred restlessly, one hand tightening on the sheets, then slowly relaxed again. Another nightmare, perhaps, though this one didn't seem to be as bad as whatever had woken him the previous night.

Tony watched him for a few minutes, but when he didn't stir again started thinking over the list of parts required to make a new arrow for Barton, one that gave out a short-range but very strong EMP on impact and could theoretically be used to at least temporarily disable electronic devices like the Doombots. Given the chance of an eventual second attack, he decided he should put developing and manufacturing the arrows somewhere relatively high on his list of priorities.

Loki tensed suddenly, legs and arms jerking a little as if he'd started to curl up, and a low sound escaped him, somewhere between a moan and a whimper. Definitely a nightmare, Tony decided, and slid one foot over to nudge at his arm. "Loki," he called softly. Loki shuddered and twitched. Tony nudged him again, and Loki's hand lashed out, grabbing a bruisingly hard hold on his ankle. Tony yelped and tried to pull his foot free. Loki's head lifted, eyes slitting partially opened, then he made a sleepy sound of protest, his grip relaxing to much less painful levels as he slid back to sleep again, until his hand was just resting slack, palm-down on Tony's leg. Tony tried to draw his foot away once he was certain Loki was sleeping peacefully again, and the hand immediately tightened, though thankfully not as firmly as before. Tony sighed and left his foot where it was. Apparently for tonight at least he was Loki's security blanket.

Come to think of it, given Loki's tendency to cuddle up to him, maybe he'd been that for a while and just hadn't noticed before. He was still mulling that disturbing thought over and trying to remember just when Loki had turned into a Mr McCuddlepants when sleep finally claimed him.

* * *

Tony woke to a warm weight on his chest and stomach. He cracked an eye open, lifting his head enough to look down, and found himself almost nose to nose with a cat, lying on his top of him with its paws tucked in and tail wrapped around it, eyes shut. Not just any cat, but one of those squashed-face black-tipped white Persians with heavy black eyeliner that looked like it should be in the lap or draped over the arm of some cliche movie villain. Loki's eyes opened, a brilliant green in shade, and he made one of those incredibly wide-mouthed yawns that cats did, displaying a full set of very sharp white teeth while the rough-looking tongue stretched out and curled upwards. Then the mouth snapped shut, and Loki just lay there looking placidly back at Tony, the tip of his tail twitching slightly.

Tony sighed. "And the American judge gives 7.5 points for style. Cute, Loki, very cute. And not at all the way I meant it when you turned into a Pomeranian." Loki merely continued staring. Tony sighed again, then reached to scratch behind his ears; carefully, since he knew some cats didn't react well to such things. Loki's head turned just slightly to watch his hand approaching, but he didn't make any move to avoid Tony's fingers. A short while later, Loki's chin was resting on Tony's chest, his eyes half-slitted and what was a very definite purr rumbling through him. That, Tony decided, really was sort of cute, though he carefully avoided saying anything about it.

By the time he finally made it downstairs, everyone else was already halfway through breakfast; corned beef hash, by which he assumed that Steve had cooked. Steve was the first one to spot him and Loki, and the soldier's entire face lit up. "Thinking of taking over SPECTRE, Tony?" he asked.

Tony grinned back, delighted by Steve actually initiating a pop culture reference, and wondered who'd introduced him to Bond films, since it certainly hadn't been him. "Why yes, I've heard they're in need of a new Number 1," he responded. "Plus, dark side pays better."

"They have milk, _and_ cookies," Clint chimed in, grinning.

Tony took a few minutes to dump some canned tuna into a bowl for Loki, then joined everyone else at the table.

"You shouldn't feed cats canned fish," Natasha said. "Not as anything more than an occasional treat, anyway."

"I know, too much ash and stuff in it, it gives them kidney stones," Tony said. "I'll have to figure out what to feed him later, somehow I don't think Fancy Feast will cut it. And he'd probably kill me in my sleep if I tried Meow Mix on him."

"You let him near you when you're sleeping?" Clint asked, sounding surprised and giving Loki an untrusting look.

"Sure. Either the binding spell is working properly and there's not a damned thing he can do to hurt me anyway, or I'd be dead already, yes-no?"

Natasha glanced up from spreading mustard on a piece of dark rye bread – she only liked corned beef hash when eaten as an open-faced sandwich – and glanced from Tony to Loki and back again, then looked at Clint. "He has a point," she conceded, and resumed her sandwich construction.

"I dunno, on a horror movie scale of vaguely ominous soundtrack to fully rendered alien zombie apocalypse with extra gore, I'd say that allowing Loki to remain in the room you sleep in ranks as, oh, _at least_ a why the fuck are you going into the darkened basement alone," Clint pointed out, frowning.

"I think I more-or-less understood most of those references and I'm still not sure what Clint just said," Steve said, looking confused.

"He's saying I'm being a dumbass and putting myself in danger," Tony translated. "Only with more words." He pointed a finger at Natasha. " _Don't_ tell me he has a point. It's pretty much invalidated by my point anyway. I'm not dead, ergo the spell is working, therefore it makes no real difference if I let Loki sleep in my room rather than banning him to a containment cell somewhere for the night. And I can't _believe_ I'm actually arguing in favour of magical anything."

Natasha just smirked and took a bite of her sandwich. Loki, finished his tuna, came and jumped up into Tony's lap, nosing at his plate to see what was on it.

"Hey! My food," Tony said, wrapping one arm around him to hold him back. "Anyway I doubt corned beef is good for you. Too much salt."

Loki twisted his head around to look up at Tony's face, then seeming gave up, lying down across his lap.

"Is... is he purring?" Clint asked a moment later, pausing with a forkful of hash halfway to his mouth. The purring cut off, and Loki lifted his head to peer over the table at Clint, eyes narrowing. Clint grinned. "Nothing _wrong_ with purring, just..."

Whatever he was about to finish that sentence with was cut off as an alarm sounded, with the get-suited-up-and-gather-at-the-quinjet tone. They all shot to their feet, Tony depositing Loki on the table. "Stay here," he ordered, before heading at a run toward the newly repaired peeler platform. "Heavy suit, Jarvis," he called at he went.

" _Still under repair, sir... you haven't finished reassembly of the right arm casing._ "

"Shit... medium suit then."

Loki sat down by Tony's plate, and placidly started eating Tony's breakfast.

* * *

The food was tasty, but it was indeed rather saltier than this form found entirely enjoyable. Loki finished off the plate of it anyway, sheerly out of a stubborn determination to do so, but found himself regretting it afterwards when it left him feeling vaguely nauseous and very thirsty. It wasn't until he went to jump down and head to his water dish that he discovered that the binding spell was taking a very literal view of that parting 'stay here' of Tony's; he couldn't leave the top of the table. Even just crossing to the other side of it started the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that meant he was pushing his boundaries.

Loki circled the table, sniffing at the various liquids abandoned in cups and glasses, lip curling back in disgust at how unpalatable things such as coffee and orange juice smelled to him. Natasha, he was relieved to discover, had left a half-finished glass of water at her place. He tried to stick his head in to drink from it, but the glass was too small, the water tantalizingly just out of reach of his tongue. He tried reaching in and dabbling in the water with his paw, then licking the water off of his fur, but found that a very slow and unsatisfactory way to drink. Finally he made a spitting sound of frustration and knocked the glass over on its side. Some of the water dripped off the table, out of his reach, but he lapped up what he could of the puddle it left behind.

Unfortunately the water made a reappearance a short time later, along with a disgusting amount of the contents of his stomach. He moved away from the noisome puddle as soon as he could, and then yowled in discomfort as his stomach let him know that it was still far from happy.

" _Do you require assistance, Loki?_ " Jarvis asked. Loki yowled a second time, crouching down in a ball of pained misery. There was a brief pause before Jarvis spoke again. " _Sir is currently unavailable. I will summon someone else who can help._ "

Loki had thrown up a second time and was feeling only slightly better as a result when he heard the elevator open, followed by the faint purr of Coulson's motorized wheelchair. Loki turned his head away, closing his eyes and hunching up tighter, then yowled again as the motion made his stomach roil.

"I've got him, Tony. Worry about the mission, not the cat," Coulson said as he rolled to a stop by the table. "Throwing up hairballs, Loki?"

" _I believe he may be suffering from a mild case of salt poisoning, Agent Coulson._ "

"Treatment?"

" _Administering fluids, usually via an IV, though I would be hesitant to use one on Loki as that in combination with a shape change could be dangerous. His electrolytes should be monitored in case the poisoning is worse than suspected, which I can do if you bring him to either the medical floor or Dr Banner's lab._ "

"I think Bruce's lab would be best, in terms of secrecy," Coulson said.

Loki stiffened, eyes flying open as hands touched him, scooping him up and moving him off the table. He made a distressed mrowling sound and began to struggle, feeling the binding spell commanding him back to where he'd been ordered to stay. The moment he could get the leverage to do so, he kicked off from Coulson's lap and vaulted back onto the table, sending leftover food and cutlery scattering across it, and adding cooling coffee to the mess. He crouched down again, trembling with stress and pain, and yowled plaintively. Coulson frowned and rolled around the table, and Loki quickly backed away from him, growling unhappily when when he promptly stepped into something nasty.

Coulson's frown deepened. "Loki... I'm trying to _help_ ," he pointed out, and slowly rolled closer again. Loki hunkered down, too upset to even care that there was now something horrible soaking into his belly fur, and gave a particularly long and piercing yowl.

"Tony, he's not letting me pick him up," Coulson said.

" _I believe I have identified the problem, Agent Coulson,_ " Jarvis spoke up. " _Sir seems to have ordered him to stay on the table._ "

"You heard that, Tony?" Coulson asked, looking somewhat put-upon.

There was a faint crackling sound, and then Loki could hear Tony's voice, the sounds of battle in the background. "Yeah. Loki, go with Coulson and stay where he puts you." The sound cut out again.

Coulson eyed Loki, then sighed. "Jarvis, make note that Tony owes me a really big favour for this," he said, then reached for Loki again.

" _Noted, Agent Coulson_ ," Jarvis answered, sounding amused.

This time the only distress Loki felt was the continued upset of his digestive system, and he was soon settled in Coulson's lap, the man's left hand cupped over him to hold him steady as Coulson steered out of the kitchen and over to the elevators.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowzers, over 400 kudos now - thank you all for the appreciation, and an especially big thank you to everyone who's posted a comment; I do read them all, even if I don't always manage to respond to them.
> 
> NaNo update: my original fic idea fizzled out, but I've decide to take a second stab at it with another Avengers story. That one I'll hold off on starting to post until this one is finished, rather than doing my more usual post-it-as-I-write it, on the theory that while I post it I can wrap up some of my WIPs from my other fandom, after which I can continue more easily in both (having currently worked my way up to an unworkable number of WIPs). Because writing for this fandom is _addictive_.


	31. Distractions

"Try to claw or bite me and I will end you," Coulson said in a conversational tone of voice as he lifted Loki out of his lap and deposited him into a sink in the lab.

Loki hunkered down, ears back, as Coulson leaned over and started the water running, then pulled a spray attachment out of its holder and started wetting down Loki's fur. Loki yowled in protest, but forced himself to remain still, not just because he more than half-believed Coulson's quiet words, but also because this body's instinctive method of cleaning the mess out of his fur was... unthinkably vile, compared to submitting to a bath.

The procedure was about equally uncomfortable for both of them, Coulson having to lean sideways at an awkward angle to reach the sink from his chair, Loki having to suppress his body's natural desire to fight and flee. He forced himself to think about how much he'd always enjoyed bathing when in his natural form, which helped a little, though Coulson was far from the sort of handmaiden he'd usually have wanted attending on him.

Coulson was seemingly doing two jobs at once, as while he bathed Loki he was also watching a floating array of displays that Jarvis was projecting nearby for him, and making comments at intervals that Loki guessed was his side of a conversation with the Avengers while they fought. Eventually Coulson was satisfied with the cleanliness of his fur. "Stay there for now," he ordered, and rolled away again, the screens floating smoothly along with him.

Loki crouched down in the sink, trembling again from stress and exhaustion. His stomach at least seemed to be settling, though he still felt thirsty, and increasingly cold with his fur moisture-slicked to his body the way it was. He licked half-heartedly at his shoulder, then gave up and just forced himself to remain still, waiting while the worst of the moisture dripped from his sodden fur.

When Coulson returned he had a pile of towels in his lap, and was wearing a clean pair of sweatpants to replace the ones Loki had soiled. He towelled Loki dry with the same rough efficiency with which he'd bathed him, then set him down on a folded towel on top of one of the metal-topped tables in the room, before filling a shallow dish with water and putting it down in reach of Loki.

Loki pulled himself up enough to drink deeply, then lay back down on the towel. He felt less terrible now, though the way his fur was still all damp and tangled felt nasty. He tiredly started grooming himself smooth, watching Coulson as the man sat working nearby, eyes flicking from display to display, talking quietly as he pointed out things about the attack to the Avengers, or warned them of attackers approaching them from angles they couldn't themselves easily see.

He was only partway through grooming himself when his exhaustion overwhelmed him. He curled up as best he could around his still-sore tummy, and dropped off to sleep.

* * *

"You are going to owe me so many favours after this," Coulson's voice said in Tony's ear, sounding both darkly amused and more than a little strained.

"I know, I'm sorry. How's he doing?"

"He's sleeping now."

"Ouch, so yeah, eyeful of alien junk time again I'm assuming. Sorry, Agent,"

"I've had to deal with worse things over my career. Jarvis says he should recover quickly now that he's in his normal form; at that body mass the amount of salt he ingested is well below toxic levels. Group of three on your seven o'clock."

Tony spun and fired. "Good to hear. Also, who the hell thinks weaponizing pigeons and sea gulls is a good idea? God damn fucking sky rats with _lasers_..."

"I'm more worried about how whomever did it got them to work in concert," Bruce's voice came over the line. They'd decided early on that the threat from the modified scavengers wasn't enough to justify bringing out the Hulk, not when whatever damage he'd do would likely be worse than the effects of the flying vermin. He was currently sitting out the lengthy fight in a SHIELD-supplied mobile lab, examining the bodies of some of the cyborged creatures to see if he could figure out anything immediately useful about them.

"Yeah that is concerning," Tony agreed.

"Flock of them gathering a block to your east, Iron Man. Cap, that's two blocks north of you. Hawkeye, there's two gulls approaching from your six."

It was hours later before the last of the birds had been dealt with, and Hulk had taken an outing after all, once Bruce found the oddly organic electronics embedded in the brains of the samples he was examining. Jarvis traced down the source of the signal the chips (for lack of a better word) were receiving to a bunker-like old utility building on the grounds of a long-abandoned factory on the edge of the area they've been fighting in. The heavily reinforced door didn't last long against Hulk's strength, though both Tony and Bruce were at least a little regretful that the madman behind it all chose to blow up his facility rather than allow himself and his technology to be captured. Though if he was like most madmen they've encountered to date, there was a better than even chance that he had a bolthole, and they'd be seeing him and his tech again some time.

As soon as his suit was peeled, Tony headed straight down to Bruce's lab. Coulson was still there, he knew, coordinating the after-battle cleanup and filling in the multitude of forms and reports that were needed. The man was a machine when it came to his job, and Tony was eternally grateful that he'd survived Loki's attack on the helicarrier; the time between the Battle of New York and when Coulson had again become their handler had not been a pleasant time for either the Avengers or the members of SHIELD they'd had to interface with. Since Coulson had rejoined them, things had gone a lot smoother.

Tony came to an abrupt stop just inside the door of the lab. Loki was obviously back in cat form, lying curled up in Coulson's lap, the man typing one-handed while his other hand scratched Loki's ears. Loki was a small grey tabby short-hair of some kind. Coulson glanced up at his entry, and smiled thinly. "I'll let you know what you owe me for cat-sitting later."

Tony grinned. "Sure. And thanks. Wouldn't want to think of how Thor would have reacted if I'd accidentally let his kid brother die." Loki's eyes slitted open and he gave Tony an annoyed look, then rose to his feet, arching his back and yawning widely before jumping down out of Coulson's lap and padding over to strop himself against Tony's legs. Tony smiled, and bent down to run one hand down his back before lifting him up, cradling him in his arms. "Well, I've got work to do... see you later, Agent."

"Later, Stark," Coulson said, only briefly glancing away from his work.

He carried Loki down one floor to his own lab, in through the recently finished Acme Labs entranceway, which rarely failed to make him smile. He sang some of the Pinky and the Brain theme song under his breath as he set Loki down and filled a bowl with water for him. "Jarvis, from now on please keep an eye on what I say to Loki and let me know if I inadvertently say something that might be interpreted as a location command, all right? Rather not have any more inadvertent screw-ups like this morning."

" _Certainly sir._ "

Tony wandered around for a moment, wondering what to work on, then remembered that his heavy suit was still out of commission and headed over to the workbench where the partially disassembled armour piece was still waiting for Tony to finish replacing and rewiring the parts that had been damaged or destroyed when he'd been shot. Which reminded him twice over that his arm was still sore, seeing as how any time he moved it beyond a certain range of movements it would start to hurt, and rewiring inside the heavy armour pieces required at least a certain amount of uncomfortable contortions to link up mechanical and electrical bits and pieces. He had to take a break partway through the work, knocking back some acetaminophen tablets with the aid of a cup of coffee.

Loki was exploring the lab, he saw, being watched from a distance by the three bots. Tony found himself smiling, amused by the way they reacted to Loki's presence. This time it was You and Butterfingers who got close to him first, Dummy who kept his distance, at least until Loki started stropping himself against the two smaller robots and purring. Only then did Dummy move in, and it wasn't long before he had his pincers held in a position where Loki could rub his head against them.

Tony went back to work, and despite the increasingly sore arm lost himself in his repairs for a while, methodically working his way down the rows of connectors inside the arm until the armpiece was whole again, after which he carefully checked every piece of the set by hand to be sure there wasn't anything else in need of a repair. He was feeling pleasantly accomplished by the time he finally sat back, the heavy suit completely restored and reassembled, Jarvis running it through its test routines preparatory to storing it for use.

Tony got up to get himself some more coffee and a handful of cookies to eat, and noticed that Loki was napping again, stretched out on the couch in human form. He quickly turned his back, telling himself it was because it was the polite thing to do. Not that the sight of the naked god was unpleasant or upsetting or anything, just... distracting. Yeah, that was a nice neutral word for it. Distracting. He made a mental note to find where the blanket he usually kept in the lab had wandered off to.

He plunged back into his work, quickly drawing up the plans and parts list to make some varied prototypes of the EMP arrows he'd been planning in his head the night before, then segued from that into the plans and parts list for his cheaper version of the food heater, since he had his design software open already and might as well get that out of his head at the same time. It needed a better name than food heater, he decided, and knowing how Pepper tended to roll her eyes at his own attempts at naming things, made a mental note to ask the others for suggestions.

He'd started work on another set of plans, sketching in a tentative idea for a prosthetic device based on his suit that might help Coulson to walk again, when he suddenly had a lap full of cat, Loki having leapt up unexpectedly. He was a long lean cat with sleek fur of a sandy colour, shading to white on his nose and throat, with subtle darker markings on his head, back and tail, and large golden yellow eyes. Loki rubbed himself against Tony's front briefly, then rose up on his hind legs with his forepaws braced on Tony's chest just above the arc reactor, and gave a very loud and demanding meow.

"What do you want? More water?" Tony asked, and glanced that way to see the bowl was still half-full. Loki meowed again, then jumped down and sauntered over to sit down by the freezer, looking pointedly up at the food heater and then back over his shoulder at Tony.

"Oh... hungry?"

Another of those imperious meows. Tony realized he was feeling kind of peckish himself, and a glance at the time display showed just how long ago that handful of cookies had been; it was past midnight, and he'd skipped supper.

He dug around in the freezer, hauling out a ziploc tub of homemade lasagna for himself – leftovers from a dinner cooked by Steve – and threw that in the heater for himself, then poked around in the cabinets to find something a cat could eat, eventually emerging triumphantly with some retort pouches of salmon and tuna that hadn't passed their best before date yet. He tore open a pouch of salmon, dumping it out on a plate, then grabbed his container of now-warm lasagna and a fork and carried them both over to the couch, taking a seat at one end and setting the plate down on the middle cushion. Loki leaped up and crouched down by the plate, making a grumbling sound of approval as he started to eat.

Tony damn near inhaled the lasagna, watching while Loki ate the salmon with only slightly less enthusiasm. He paused in his own eating for a moment. "Jarvis, run a search to see what the nutrient intake of cats is supposed to be, and then find or create a recipe for homemade cat food that meets the requirements, and doesn't look or smell like a dog's breakfast, 'kay?"

" _Of course, sir. There are a number of homemade cat food recipes available online; I'll assume I can safely ignore the vegan options, and will analyze the remainder as to nutritional content._ "

"Sweet, thanks," Tony said, and finished his meal, then picked up Loki's empty plate and put it and his own dishes in the dishwasher. "Dummy, dishwashing duty," he called out, and smiled as Dummy raised and lowered his head in excitement, then started patrolling the lab in search of any forgotten mugs or lost plates that needed to be gathered up and added to the load.

Tony scooped up Loki and headed for the elevators, feeling tired as the long day, and the long fight that had occupied most of it, finally caught up with him.


	32. An Accepted Level of Weird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, writing brain decided to go on holiday without me the last couple of days and only finally snuck back home late this afternoon.

When Tony had stepped into Banner's lab to retrieve him from Coulson, a mix of relief and happiness had surprised Loki, and had him running over to greet the man before he could school his emotions to prevent any such display. It had been rapidly followed by a confusing contentment when Tony had lifted him up and carried him off.

He had been shocked to realize the strength of the emotions he was feeling, once the initial surge of them had faded enough that he was able to properly think again instead of merely reacting. As he played with the robots, he tried to convince himself that it was merely this latest animal form's instincts at fault, much as it had been the instincts of the canine form that had been the cause of his initial attachment to Tony. Yet every time he glanced over at the man, hard at work, he felt a wave of something dangerously like affection for him, a desire to get closer to him, to have Tony's attention focused on _him_ rather than on whatever the blasted man was working on. Finally he abandoned his play with the three machines and stretched out on the couch, hoping to feel less unsettled when he woke again.

It had been, if anything, worse when he woke, so that the first thing he'd done after stretching and lightly grooming himself had been to dash across the floor and leap up into Tony's lap. He could only be thankful that Tony had mistaken it as a quest for sustenance and not what it was; a desire for his company and touch.

And now... now he prowled around the edges of Tony's bedroom, pausing occasionally to look at the sleeping man, hesitant to allow himself any closer to him. He had thought the change of form would make a difference, but it hadn't, and he couldn't think of a form he could take that would end this desire to remain close to Tony. Make it more difficult or at least less comfortable to do so, yes, but not end it.

He forced himself to admit it to himself; it wasn't just his animal forms that had become comfortable with Tony's presence; it was him. _He_ felt an attraction to the man. Affection for him. Desire for him, if only he could be in human form, his Aesir form, a form that could meet Tony as an equal instead of as a... as a _pet_ , of all Niflheim-cursed things. Yet it was a desire and attraction he didn't want Tony, or anyone else for that matter, to be aware of; it was a weakness that could be used against him. A hole in the armour with which he'd long surrounded his heart, a flaw in his defences, something he didn't want.

He'd have to hide it. Disguise it, so that no one else ever realized what he truly felt for this damned mortal. Let them mistake it for merely the same unthinking affection that a pet might feel for his master, not that Loki was attracted to Tony. It would be difficult, he knew; as the binding frayed and faded there would be times when he could be both human, and awake. He would have to guard against betraying himself then; keep Tony at a distance. Lead him to believe that any signs of attraction Loki couldn't conceal were nothing more than base lust, not... not anything more.

At some point he would either be free again, or would be taken back to Asgard, and this inappropriate attachment would fade given both distance and time. He would just have to endure it until then. That decided, he gave in to the impulses of his current form, and allowed himself to leap up on the bed, stretching out with his back pressed to the warmth of Tony's side.

* * *

Waking up to a naked Loki in his bed was now starting to feel kind of like a "so what" moment, it had happened so many times. Still a little on the weird side, yes, but a familiar weird, an accepted level of weird. Commonplace enough that he even let himself just lie there for a little longer, admiring the eye-candy and thinking it was too bad about the personality that came packaged within it. Tony was honest enough to admit to himself that he found Loki's physical form attractive, and in his rare man-chasing moments he'd have been quite happy to hit that. The thought made him feel vaguely melancholy, made him wish for a moment that this actually was just some one-night stand stretched out beside him, some handsome near-stranger that he'd fucked into the bed the night before, and actually enjoyed the time with enough to stick around for a morning sex finisher rather than having already ducked out and left his PA to make sure that his guest was gone by the time he returned.

Not that he had a PA who'd do that for him any more, having never yet gotten around to replacing Pepper. Which perhaps made it a good thing that he hadn't yet gone back to his previous playboy life-style since the relationship between Pepper and him had reached its painful end. Probably it was this unusually long dry spell that was responsible for his mind even thinking things like that about Loki, of all people, not any actual real attraction.

Though _fuck_ but the guy was a looker when he wasn't all poisonous words and bitter anger.

Having now crossed the line into weirding himself out, Tony rolled out of bed and headed for the shower, closing the door behind him since he now had a personal situation to take care of in the shower and really didn't want to have Loki walking in on that, in any form. He kept his mind very firmly on female flesh while jerking off, and if the image that he finally came to was that of a woman with long black hair and high cheekbones, and red red lips wrapped around him, that was sheer coincidence.

Loki was awake when he finally emerged from the bathroom. Awake and in cat form, a long-haired tortoiseshell stretched out on the windowsill and looking attentively out the window at the view of Manhattan spread out below. Tony dressed – socks, jeans, a white button-down shirt pulled on and left open over a well-worn band shirt, also white, the graphic on the front so faded and peeled as to barely be visible. He decided he didn't feel like shoes today, then changed his mind and slipped into one of his older and more beaten-up pairs of sneakers.

When he turned, it was to find that Loki was watching him, having twisted his upper body around so that his head was hanging backwards and upside-down off of the windowsill, one forepaw crooked in the air above his chest. A ridiculous posture, and one which cats somehow managed to make look both perfectly natural and entirely comfortable.

"You coming?" he asked. Loki performed a twisting slide off the windowsill, landing on his feet, then ran straight at Tony, taking a couple of long bounding jumps before leaping upwards, Tony realizing his target only just in time to catch him. "Ooof! Showoff," he said as Loki slammed into him.

Loki purred, and craned up to rub his cheeks against Tony's chin before settling down and making himself comfortable in Tony's arms. Tony found himself smiling in amusement as he turned and headed off for the kitchen. "You are such a lazy cat," he said. "Though I suppose it's better than you doing that whole head-behind between-the-feet thing cats seem to delight in doing. I'd rather not take a header down the stairs, after all."

His kitchen was busy, Natasha and Steve working side by side at the counter while Clint and Bruce sat at the table chopping up things. A large pile of things, mostly of the squishy pinkish-red or brown of organ meats. Tony paused in the doorway. "What in hell are you guys making? Haggis?" he asked.

"Waffles," Steve and Natasha said in chorus, without looking around.

"Cat food," Clint said, not looking up from finely dicing what looked suspiciously like kidneys and probably were.

Bruce paused in his own chopping – chicken livers, it looked like – to glance up, then looked over the top of his glasses at Loki. "Huh. Tortoiseshell? Male or female?"

"Why do you ask?" Tony asked, frowning, as Clint and Steve looked around too.

"Tortoiseshell and calico cats are almost always female," Natasha answered in an 'everyone knows this' tone of voice, before also turning her head to look at Tony and Loki. "The colouration comes from an interaction between different colour alleles on the two X chromosomes. The only male cats that have it are XXY instead of XY."

"It's only about one in three thousand that's a male," Bruce added. "And they're almost always sterile."

Tony frowned thoughtfully down at Loki. "Well, I don't plan to be the one to lift his tail and look," he said after a long silence. Loki rose up on his hind legs and rubbed his cheeks against Tony's chin again, purring approvingly.

"Female," Clint said as Loki's tail lifted briefly.

Loki turned for a moment and glared at him, then went back to rubbing against Tony. Tony snorted, and walked over to the table to take a closer look at what Clint and Bruce were making, and caught Bruce giving Loki a very amused look as Loki continued rubbing against him, making head-dives against his shoulder now. "What?" he asked.

Bruce smiled and shook his head. "I shouldn't say."

"No, really, what?"

Clint and Bruce exchanged a look. Clint grinned. "You know why cats like rubbing their chin on stuff? They're marking it with their scent. Loki is marking you as his – hers, whatever – when she does that."

Tony paused and blinked, then glanced down at Loki, who'd likewise frozen. "Possessive much?" he said quietly.

Loki twisted around and leaped from his arms, landing on the table, skidding a little on touch-down and only pausing long enough to snap up a hunk of something pinky-beige and wobbly before leaping down off the table. She dashed past Tony with ears laid back, and disappeared under the living room couch.

"Damn it," Tony said, turning to call after her. "Loki, you better not get anything that'll stain on the carpet! Or leave any bits to rot under there!"

Bruce smiled, and gestured with his knife at the chair beside him. "Come help make cat food," he said.

"Right, fine... how'd you two get roped into this anyway?"

"Jarvis," Clint said, trying to sound grim but looking mostly amused.

"Clint came to my lab looking for some of the ingredients he needed," Bruce spoke up.

"You keep organ meats there?" Tony asked. "What happened to being a vegetarian?"

Bruce smiled thinly. "No. But I do have taurine, arginine, B-complex and a few other supplements that the recipe required. Also, you owe me a big, big favour since I am, in fact, not in favour of handling meat or meat by-products myself. But I also understand what properly feeding an obligate carnivore requires."

"And I asked him really, really nicely," Clint said.

Bruce smiled. "You did. As did Jarvis."

By the time they'd chopped up and mixed everything together, including some non-meat ingredients for bulk and fibre, Steve and Natasha had towering piles of waffles ready to be topped and eaten. Tony put the covered container of cat food aside in the fridge – Bruce recommended freezing it into serving-size portions, so it would keep longer – and they sat down together and made pigs of themselves.

Tony was on his third serving when he suddenly acquired a lap full of cat again, a cat who lifted her head just enough over the edge of the table to stare very fixedly at the whipped cream spread on the gingerbread waffle on his plate. "Milk isn't good for adult cats," Tony said, and blocked the paw that was trying to sneak some of his topping.

Loki made a grumpy sound and remained where she was, intently watching every mouthful that Tony cut and ate, head craning back to watch the fork travel to his mouth. Loki meowed plaintively, then turned and stood up with her forepaws braced against Tony's shoulder, sniffing near his mouth. The others at the table watched with varying degrees of amusement.

"Hey! No, my food, not yours," Tony scolded. Loki meowed again. "Oh, for... all right, fine, look, I'm giving you a little whipped cream, but you better not make a mess anywhere because of it," he said, dumping a spoonful of whipped cream on the table near his plate. Loki promptly turned around, leaning down to lick up the mound of whipped cream, then sat down in his lap again, looking pleased as she licked remnants of foam off of her muzzle.

* * *

Tony hid a smile as he watched Dummy trailing Loki around the lab, a blanket clutched in his pincers. With cat form had, it seemed, come frequent catnaps, and since Loki wasn't confining himself to the couch in the corner of the lab while taking them, Tony had put Dummy on blanket-duty after the second nap that day so that he wouldn't find himself suddenly subjected to random naked Loki views. The tortoiseshell was long gone, having been replaced by first a talkative Siamese and then a teddy bear faced cat with fur of an odd greyish shade that Jarvis informed him was actually called blue. That had somehow seemed to offend Loki, who'd napped again soon after and turned into a white cat with orange patches on its head and a mostly-orange tail. He'd lounged in Tony's lap for a couple of hours afterwards before jumping down and curling up in a corner of the lab to take yet another nap. He was now a huge ginger-coloured tabby cat, who reminded Tony of something a cat-obsessed employee of his had once said about every real cat person needing to own an obligatory big fat orange cat at least once in their lives. At least he assumed the pale reddish-gold colour Loki currently was counted as orange.

"Hey, Garfield, you ready for lunch yet?" Tony asked, then glanced at the time display. "Err... or supper. Yeah, supper sounds good."

Loki promptly stopped his random wanderings and headed over to sit down by the door, then looked expectantly over his shoulder at Tony.

"Good," Tony said, and rose to his feet, then had to sit down abruptly when the sudden movement made his head spin. "One sec, I'll be right there," he said, and his voice sounded oddly thin even to himself. He closed his eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Too much caffeine and sugar and not enough real food, he told himself, not enough sleep. Though really he had been sleeping a lot more regularly of late than he usually did, so why was he so light-headed and why was his arm throbbing like that...

Oh, he thought, as the dizziness got even worse, like everything was moving sideways. He only realized he was falling when the sliding ended in a series of impacts with the floor, pain shooting through knee, hip, wrist, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, and head, as bits of him hit the floor one after another. There was a yowling sound, and alarms, and... blackness.

* * *

Loki stared at Tony, taking in how pale and unsteady he suddenly looked as he swayed in his seat. He rose, making an inquisitive noise, and then crouched and froze in shock as Tony slid sideways out of the chair, collapsing bonelessly against the floor with a series of audible impacts. An alarm started up, which made Loki yowl in startlement, fur fluffing upright while his claws extended, back arched and eyes widened in reaction. He laid back his ears and charged across the floor, coming to a stop by Tony, and nosed at his lax hand for a moment, yowling again in a combination of concern over Tony's stillness and his own discomfort from the piercingly loud alarm.

He was nosing at Tony's too-pale face when the lab doors slid open, Steve and Natasha running into the room, Bruce on their heels.

"Jarvis, what happened!" Steve called out as he bent down and snatched up Loki, big hands wrapping securely around Loki's body. By the grim expression on his face, Loki guessed that Steve thought he was to blame for Tony being passed out on the floor.

The alarm cut out. " _Sir appears to have fainted, Captain Rogers. Heart rate and respiration are both elevated outside of acceptable limits._ "

Bruce was already down on his knees beside Tony, checking his pulse and then carefully feeling his head where it had hit the rubberized tile floor.

"There's blood on his sleeve," Natasha pointed out, voice flat and almost eerily calm.

Bruce bent to the side to see, then swore, reaching to touch his fingers to Tony's arm. "Blood and pus, upper arm appears swollen and is hot to the touch. Infection that's gone septic, maybe. Call the medical floor and get a gurney up here."

" _A paramedic team is already on their way up, Dr Banner._ "

"Good. Someone find me some scissors," Bruce said. Natasha produced a knife and offered it handle-first to him. He gave it a blank look for a moment, then nodded and took it from her, and with a few swift cuts had Tony's clothing sliced away to reveal his arm. He hissed through his teeth and swore softly again at the sight of it, the skin distended and discoloured around a mostly-healed wound, red lines streaking away from it, thick dark blood and foul matter oozing out of it where the healing flesh had split open.

"Is he going to be all right?" Steve asked, sounding concerned.

Bruce glanced up. "Yeah, he should be... this needs to be cleaned out, and he'll need a course of antibiotics. Hopefully there hasn't been any organ damage from it."

"And if there is organ damage?"

"Then things will be considerably more complicated."

The paramedic team arrived just then, and in fairly short order had Tony transferred to the gurney and headed to the elevator. Loki felt a surge of panic as the stretcher was raised and began to move away from him, and began to struggle, trying to get free of Steve's grip to go with Tony.

"Hey, calm down, they'd just taking him to the medical floor," Steve said, maintaining his grip on him. "He'll be fine."

Tony might be fine, but Loki knew that he himself was not. He wasn't where he was supposed to be; he shouldn't be here. As the lab doors closed behind the gurney, cutting off his view of Tony, he panicked, digging his claws into Steve's stomach and chest as he struggled to escape the man's grip on him, loud screaming cries of anger escaping him as the feeling of wrongness grew.


	33. Boundaries

Steve gave a startled yell as Loki's claws gouged deep bleeding scratches down his front, wishing he was in his puncture- and tear-resistant suit instead of the thin cotton tshirt he was currently wearing. Loki was fighting madly to get out of his arms, and if it wasn't for the large number of potential hiding places in the lab – not to mention the number of dangerous and breakable things – he'd have been quite happy to just let him go. Instead he found himself having to dodge a claws-out swat at his face as Loki struggled to escape, yelling in pain as Loki craned his head sideways and sunk his teeth into Steve's thumb.

"Jarvis! What's the current locational bounds that Tony has set for Loki?" Natasha called out, eyeing Loki warily and keeping her distance.

There was actually a pause before Jarvis answered, which Steve knew enough to know was rarely a good sign. " _Sir's last explicit directive to Loki was for him to go with Agent Coulson, and remain wherever he was put by him._ "

Natasha frowned. "That can't be right."

"Maybe not but it's all we have to go on right now," Steve said grimly, then nodded at Dummy, who was hovering nearby. "Grab that blanket to wrap Loki in before he gnaws my thumb off, please. Jarvis, please let Phil know we're on our way to his floor, and why."

Natasha nodded, flicking the blanket out of Dummy's grip and folding it over several times before wrapping it around the still-struggling cat, taking over holding him as Steve extricated his own rather mangled hands and adjusted the wrappings before taking him back from Natasha. Loki kept up his loud screaming complaints as they carried him out of the lab and into the elevator, which dropped quickly downwards. Loki's complaints gradually trailed off, and by the time they reached the right floor, he'd fallen silent. Steve could feel him shivering violently within the cocooning fabric.

Phil was waiting just inside his apartment for them, and reached for the still-wrapped cat as soon as they'd entered, setting Loki down in his lap and folding back the enveloping blanket. Loki just crouched there in his lap, still shivering and looking distressed.

"He doesn't look good," Natasha said, crouching down by Phil's wheelchair to take a closer look at Loki.

Phil ran a hand soothingly down Loki's back. "I think he may be a little shocky; from what little I saw when I was trying to remove him from the table the other day, there's a physical component to the spell keeping him where he's been told to be."

"Like a shock collar," Natasha said, frowning slightly.

"Yes, I think so," Phil agreed.

"A shock collar?" Steve asked, not sure what that was.

"It's a way of training animals to stay within a designated area, sometimes called an invisible fence," Phil explained. "It's a collar with an electronic device on it. If the animal tries to leave its owner's yard, the device shocks them. Negative reinforcement; the animal is punished if it transgresses. This binding spell Loki is under, it appears to do the same sort of thing; it punishes him if he tries to leave the area he's been told he can be. Or if someone tries to remove him from it."

Steve frowned. "That doesn't seem very pleasant."

"Judging by the way he was clawing you, I don't think it was," Natasha agreed, then rose to her feet. "We should look at that bite of yours; cats have notoriously dirty mouths."

"I can't get sick," Steve reminded her.

"Better not to take any unnecessary risks; we already have Stark out because of an untreated infection," Natasha pointed out, then glanced at Phil. "First aid kit still in the bathroom linen closet?"

Phil smiled slightly. "Yes," he told her, then turned to look up at Steve as she walked away, one hand still calmly petting Loki's back. "Humour her, please. The worst that will happen if you do is that it'll sting a little."

Steve smiled crookedly. "All right," he agreed. "Jarvis, how's Tony?"

" _Sir is drifting in and out of consciousness, and vocalizing whenever he is awake. A local anaesthetic has been administered and the site of the infection is currently being drained and debrided. Dr Banner is observing._ "

"Vocalizing... I assume you mean swearing a blue streak and insisting he's perfectly fine?" Steve asked. He was glad Bruce had accompanied Tony down to the medical floor; he wasn't that kind of doctor, as he was always quick to point out, but his acquired paranoia about medical treatment meant that he made a habit of overseeing the care of all of them anyway. Something all of them had reason to be thankful for, having their own varied reasons to distrust receiving medical care from strangers. Though at least the staff here were well-vetted, by both SHIELD and Stark's own security.

" _Words to that effect, yes._ "

"If Stark's swearing than he's probably okay," Natasha said as she walked back into the room, carrying a green plastic case marked with a red cross. She nodded toward the nearby seating area. "Sit down please, Steve."

Steve nodded and settled down in a nearby armchair. Natasha put the first aid kit down nearby and sat down on the wide arm of the chair, then started cleaning the bite marks in his thumb, treating them with antiseptic as she did so. They'd already stopped bleeding, so she didn't bother with putting a bandage over them once she was done.

Phil, meanwhile, set Loki down on the couch, draping the blanket over him. "Stay there," he ordered the cat, then rolled off, returning a couple of minutes later with a bowl of water. Loki sat up enough to drink most of it, then curled up again, and within moments changed from a tired-looking cat to a sleeping man, thankfully still mostly covered by the blanket. Phil backed his chair away, his breath catching for a moment. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that," he said contemplatively.

"I'm rather hoping that we don't really have to," Natasha said. "I wish we knew how much longer we're going to have him on hand."

"Me too," Phil agreed, then looked over at the two of them. "Mind staying? I'm not really comfortable with being alone around him when he's in human form."

"Of course," Steve said.

"Have you eaten yet, Phil?" Natasha asked, rising to her feet and closing up the kit.

"Not yet. You two?"

"I'll order take-out for the three us," Natasha said, and walked off to put the kit back where it belonged.

Phil nodded acknowledgement, and stared at Loki for a moment, then smiled at Steve. "Why don't we move to the kitchen. I have a sudden need for a beer. Care for one?"

Steve rose and followed him. "I guess, though it's a waste of good alcohol."

"But good manners to accept," Phil pointed out as he wheeled over to the fridge, opening it and taking out three bottles, opening them one by one and handing one to Steve before taking a sip of his own. Natasha walked into the room a moment later and paused in her texting to accept the third from Phil. "Food ordered?" Phil asked.

"Yes, just letting Pepper know about Tony," Natasha said. "Better she hear it from me than from Tony or Jarvis."

Phil nodded, and took another pull of his beer, then frowned. "How is it that Loki was still under orders to stay where I said?"

"I don't know. Jarvis, did Tony never countermand that?" Steve asked.

" _No, Steve, he did not. I have no record of him giving any explicit directions on location to Loki beyond that point._ "

Phil drew in a sudden breath, as if about to speak, then paused, obviously thinking. Steve and Natasha both looked questioningly at him, but waited while he thought things out. Finally Phil spoke. "When Tony retrieved Loki yesterday, he never said anything to him, Loki just jumped down and ran over to him, and he took him away. And you're sure he never gave him any orders after that, Jarvis?"

" _No explicit directions, sir._ "

"Were there non-explicit directions?"

" _Only very general ones, such as asking Loki if he was going to accompany Sir to breakfast or the lab; things phrased as questions, not orders._ "

"So... apart from his last order about Loki doing what Coulson said, he was leaving it up to Loki as to whether or not Loki accompanied him?" Natasha asked. "But you said he didn't say anything at all when he retrieved Loki?"

"As far as I recall all he said was something about having work to do, and then leaving."

" _Agent Coulson's memory is correct," Jarvis spoke up. "There were no explicit or non-explicit directions given to Loki when Sir retrieved him from Dr Banner's lab._ "

"I don't think I like this," Steve said. "We've been trusting that Loki could only go where Tony said he could. _Tony_ has been trusting his life on the fact that the binding is working to keep Loki mostly harmless. If Loki's been free to go wherever he wanted to..."

"But he's clearly not, is he," Natasha suddenly pointed out. "He was trying to get away from you, presumably to either remain near Tony or try to get back to Phil on his own. Maybe we're wrong about what the boundaries of the spell actually are. Jarvis, could you play back what Thor said about that, please?"

" _Of course, Ms Romanov,_ " Jarvis said.

Thor's voice sounded, considerably muted from what his in-person volume had been "A person who will have authority over him and his movements; whom he must follow when told to follow, or obey when told to stay, and who will have responsibility for seeing that he is protected from harm while he is unable to protect himself."

Natasha chewed on her lip as she listened, then nodded slowly. "All right. That doesn't say anything about Tony being able to delegate his authority to anyone else, but there's been a number of times when he's done it anyway; all the times one of us took Loki for a walk outside, during the attack when he ordered Loki to follow Jarvis' remote, though I suppose that counts as an explicit direction even if it wasn't a static location, and then yesterday, when he ordered him to go with and obey Phil. Perhaps that's an order the spell isn't really designed to handle, but the spell is trying to accommodate it anyway, and at least partially succeeding, kind of like when one of us asks Jarvis a question that Tony doesn't want us to have the answer to, but Jarvis gives us at least a nudge in the right direction."

" _Why Ms Romanov, I would never do any such thing,_ " Jarvis said in a very virtuous tone of voice that made all three of them smile, having definitely received such hints in the past when Tony was up to something that Jarvis didn't entirely approve of.

"Maybe, but then why was he able to follow Tony around... oh. A default state? He has to follow Tony in lieu of other directions?" Phil asked.

Natasha shrugged slightly. "I don't know, though based on what we've seen, I'd guess it might be something like that. Though I don't think it's necessarily anything we need to worry about, as long as Tony has Jarvis keeping an eye on Loki; Jarvis would raise an alarm if he saw Loki doing anything he shouldn't."

" _Of course, though I can see I may need to adjust my routines for monitoring Loki's physical location; I failed to pick up on the fact that he was accompanying Sir without any direct order to do so._ "

"How's Tony?" Steve asked.

" _The site of the infection has been cleaned, and Sir is currently resting under observation while blood tests are being conducted to be sure that he hasn't suffered any additional damage. The doctor has requested that he remain at least overnight._ "

"Which means he's probably trying to argue or sneak his way out as we speak," Phil said.

" _Dr Banner also requested Sir remain where he is for now, and uttered threats of bodily harm if he did not do so._ "

Steve grinned. "So he'll wait at least a few hours before sneaking out then."

" _I'm afraid that if Sir does attempt to do so, he will find that the lock on his door is currently malfunctioning,_ " Jarvis said sweetly. " _It should be repaired by morning._ "

* * *

"Traitor," Tony muttered as he finally got the lock disassembled and the door open. "Leaving me to sneak around my own house in the middle of the night in nothing but a paper gown..."

" _Your clothes were returned to your own apartment, sir, as you had no need of them at the time and were to receive fresh ones to dress in once you were ready to leave in the morning._ "

"I'm ready to leave _now,_ " Tony said, and made his way down the hallway, holding his gown shut behind him with one hand, gritting his teeth at the throbbing pain in his upper arm, the anaesthetic having worn off at some point while he was taking apart the lock. The place seemed deserted, apart from a faint light and the muted sounds of a television coming out from under the nursing station door. He tiptoed past it, and out into the elevator lobby, freezing as he spotted a dark form leaning against the wall near the elevator doors.

"You promised me you'd stay in bed overnight, Tony," Bruce said tiredly. He was dressed in pyjamas and a bath robe with slippers on his feet, by which Tony guessed he'd been sleeping upstairs in his own bed until woken by Jarvis to be warned of Tony's impending escape. Tony felt both amused and annoyed, all his friends conspiring behind his back like that.

"Umm. Yeah, about that... I'm kind of missing my own bed right now. I mean seriously, have you tried sleeping on the beds here? They're..."

"Tony. Shut up," Bruce said as he walked over and took hold of his uninjured arm. "This way," he added, and pulled Tony back the way he'd come, pausing to knock on the nursing station door before steering Tony into an examining room across the hall from it.

The door opened and a nurse came out and crossed the hallway to join them, exchanging an amused look with Bruce before pulling out a plastic tray filled with the supplies for drawing a half dozen different blood samples.

"Sit down, Tony," Bruce said, and just stared stonily at him when he tried to protest.

"All right, fine. Vampires," Tony groused, finally taking a seat. He sat patiently while the nurse drew several tubes of his blood, after which she checked the incision in his arm and wrapped a loose dressing over it. She finished off by handing him a little paper cup with a couple of pills in it and a dixie cup of water before vanishing off down the hallway with the tray of samples.

"Painkillers?" Tony asked, peering suspiciously into the cup.

"Yes, and your next dose of antibiotics. I've got the rest of your supply," Bruce said, tapping one of his pockets. "I'll bring them to you as needed."

Tony sighed, then knocked back the pills with their water chaser. "Thank you, Bruce," he made himself say. "I don't like hospitals."

"Neither do I," Bruce said, giving him a crooked smile, and patted his uninjured shoulder. "Come on, let's get you upstairs to your bed before the painkiller kicks in."

"Ooo, is it one of the good ones? It is, isn't it. Do I get more of them?"

"No, Tony. Just for today so you actually rest instead of sneaking off down to your lab again the moment my back is turned."

"Meanie."

"Tony..." Bruce said, and stopped, as he guided him into the elevator. He sounded so tired and strained that Tony instantly felt bad.

"I'm sorry. I know, I can be an ass at times..."

"It's not that. I just wish you'd look after yourself better sometimes. You should have had that injury looked at when you got it, instead of ignoring it until it almost killed you _over a week later_ , Tony."

"I thought it was healing."

"It was, but not cleanly enough; there was foreign material still in it. Part of one of the needles those robots were shooting was still buried inside; you're just lucky those are an inert material and it didn't do any worse damage while sitting there all this time."

"Ow. Ugh, yeah, I have enough bits of metal floating around in me already," Tony said, making a face.

"Here's your floor... can you make it to your bed on your own?"

"I... yeah, I can. Thanks Bruce. Sorry," Tony said as he shuffled out of the elevator, holding the gown closed again so as not to treat Bruce to a bare-arsed view.

"No problem. Just don't do it again, or I really will Hulk out, tear your arm off and beat you with the bloody end next time."

Tony turned and grinned at Bruce. "I like you too," he said as the elevator doors closed, then made his way across the room and upstairs. He tore off the paper gown as soon as he reached his own room, got into a pair of sleep pants and crawled into bed, wincing at the dull pain he could still feel in his upper arm, though he was already getting the pleasantly detached feeling of the painkiller kicking in.

"Jarvis, where's Loki?" he asked sleepily, frowning as he looked around the room.

" _Loki is in Agent Coulson's quarters, sir._ "

Tony frowned. That didn't make sense; why was he there? His brain was fogging too quickly to really think about it right now though. "Oh... 'kay," he mumbled. He wanted Loki here. He tried to say so, but wasn't sure if he was still awake or already sleeping any more.

* * *

Loki paused in his pacing around the living room to sit and stare at Steve for a while, who was currently passed out asleep on the couch after volunteering to keep Loki and Agent Coulson company overnight. Loki understood why he'd stayed; it was obvious that Phil was less than happy about Loki's intrusion into his own living space, and had no wish to be left alone with him. The man had retreated to his own bedroom some time before, pointedly locking the door behind him.

Loki prowled another slow circuit of the room, finding himself unable to settle and rest, then walked down the short hallway that led to the outside door, and sat down on the floor beside it, resting the top of his head against it. Tony. He wanted to be with Tony, to be sure he was all right. He could feel a tug, a draw, urging him to lessen the distance between them, though it wasn't anything like the pull of the binding spell; not painful, for one thing, just a strong desire to be with him, in sight of him.

The lock of the door clicked. Loki leaped back, startled, and stared as the door swung open a few inches. _Tony_ , Loki thought, and dashed out through the narrow gap, racing silently along the darkened hallway to the elevators. He was eyeing the call button on the wall and wondering if he could jump high enough to push it when there was a soft chime and one of the elevators opened.

" _Going up,_ " Jarvis' voice spoke quietly.

Loki hurried on to the elevator, stopping once on to stare at himself in the mirror-surfaced wall. He was a black cat, he saw, a rather small and noticeably scrawny short-haired one with green eyes. He huffed at that – hardly a suitably imposing form for himself – then turned and sat facing the elevator doors, waiting while the elevator rose to the penthouse. As soon as the doors began opening he shot forward and through the gap, racing across the floor, up the stairs and down the hallway to Tony's room.

He paused, looking at Tony sprawled out on the bed, then padded across the floor and leaped up, having to dig in his claws and haul himself over the edge when he proved too small to easily make the jump. He picked his way across the bedding to Tony's side, sniffing at the gauze wrapping around his arm and making a face at the mix of smells around it, few of them pleasant. He moved further up the bed, nosing at Tony's cheek for a moment, until the man stirred sleepily, eyes cracking open as he turned his head to look at him.

Tony smiled warmly, for just a moment. "Good, y'here," he muttered, and went back to sleep. Loki curled up on the pillow beside his head, his chin resting on Tony's shoulder, and started to purr.


	34. The Distance Between

Tony turned over on his side and yawned, then lifted his head to look around and see where Loki was. He'd been somewhere close every time Tony had checked, but he wasn't in sight now. "Loki?" he called softly.

A meow drew his attention off to the side, where Loki was crouched on the floor near the bedroom door, eating from a tray set on the floor with a bowl and a plate on it.

Tony smiled. "Someone brought you breakfast? Good," he said, and groaned as he rolled back over on his back. "Jarvis, what time is it?"

" _Eleven-thirty in the morning, sir. Dr Banner is currently preparing a tray for you and has requested that you remain in bed the remainder of the day_."

"I'll at least consider it," Tony said, then sat up, hissing through his teeth as his arm twinged. "Bathroom first though, or is that not allowed?"

" _Dr Banner has indicated that there is no need to make use of alternate arrangements, sir._ "

"A fancy way of saying he's no more interested in making me use a bed pan than I am. Good," he said, and got out of bed, carefully making his way to the bathroom.

By the time he came back out, Bruce was perched on the edge of the bed, a tray of food waiting beside him, with Loki crouched in his lap having his chin scratched, still the same tiny black cat he'd been the night before. Bruce looked up at Tony. "How's the arm?"

"Hurts like someone cut me open and scooped bits out, and yeah, I know that's basically what the doctor did," Tony said, crawling back into bed. "Do I get more painkillers?"

"Yes, though not as strong. You'll probably still feel pretty sleepy anyway."

"I bet. How'd the latest blood tests come out?"

"Reasonably well. We'll need to take another set this evening, and we want to keep an eye on you for a few days to make sure your kidney, liver and heart haven't been compromised by the infection, but initial indicators are that the septic phase was caught early enough to prevent organ damage," Bruce said as he moved the tray over to Tony's lap.

"Oh, coffee, you life-saver you," Tony said, and started in on the meal, a combination of breakfast and lunch foods – granola, yogurt, fruit, soup, cheese, and nuts, along with coffee and a protein smoothie. Loki padded over and sniffed around the tray, showing a little interest in the cheese, then moved to lie down between Tony's feet, closing his eyes and purring deeply again. Tony couldn't prevent a fond smile in his direction, not that he much wanted to.

Bruce fished a little folded paper envelope out of his pocket, setting it down by the edge of the tray. "Your medicine," he said. "Natasha would like to talk to you, if you have a minute. Privately," he added, looking pointedly at Loki for a moment.

"Oh. All right. Loki, go with Bruce," he said. Loki's purring cut off, and he gave Tony a long stare before rising to his feet and walking back over to Bruce, allowing the man to carry him away.

Natasha slipped into the room a couple of minutes later, walking over to sit down on the edge of the bed in Bruce's place. "You scared us last night," she said.

"I know. Sorry. I would say it'll never happen again except I know me better than that. I'll at least try to avoid it happening again though, because _ow_."

One side of Natasha's mouth twitched in a brief smile. "Good. Though what I really want to talk to you about is Loki."

"Kind of guessed that by you having Bruce whisk him away first. What's up?"

Natasha quickly filled him in on Loki's reaction to Tony's removal, and the discussion she, Phil and Steve had about it afterwards. By the time she finished with the information that Loki had left from Phil's quarters on his own some time last night, Tony had eaten everything on his tray. He wiped his mouth with a napkin then dropped it on the tray and settled back in bed, arms crossing as he considered what she'd said.

"Jarvis... how did Loki get up here?" he asked.

A display appeared in mid-air, angled so both Tony and Natasha could see it. It had a split-screen view, of Tony in bed on one side and Loki staring at a sleeping Steve in the other, the time stamps matching.

"Jarvis, where's Loki?" Tony in the playback asked, frowning as he looked around the room.

" _Loki is in Agent Coulson's quarters, sir._ "

"Oh... 'kay," Tony mumbled sleepily, then rolled over on his stomach, pushing his face into the pillow for a moment before turning it sideways so he could breath properly. He lay that way for about half a minute, then rolled back over onto his back again. "Wan'im ere," he mumbled, then drifted off to sleep.

On the other screen Loki suddenly walked down the short hallway in Phil's apartment, sitting down by the door and pressing his head against it. They watched as the door opened a moment later, and Loki made a rapid journey from Phil's apartment to Tony's bed.

"You opened the doors for him?" Tony asked, looking puzzled.

" _Only the elevator ones, sir. You may recall that Agent Coulson preferred a mechanical lock over an electronic one. The door opened itself, and against the pressure of an automatic door closer at that._ "

Natasha and Tony both froze for a moment. "Well, fuck me sideways," Tony finally said. "Magic?"

" _It would appear so, sir. I am unable to arrive at any other logical reason for the door so conveniently opening at that moment in time._ "

Natasha lifted an eyebrow. "And you didn't consider that worth raising any alarm over."

" _Not when Sir had already indicated a desire for Loki's presence. Had he attempted to deviate from the direct route I would of course have taken steps._ "

Natasha gave a very small nod. "I don't like this," she said. "He's not supposed to be able to use magic."

"Are we sure he did? Consciously, I mean – the way he startled back when the door unlocked and opened didn't look to me like he was expecting it to happen," Tony quickly pointed out.

Natasha just sat and _looked_ at him for a moment, then sighed and had Jarvis replay that bit. "Maybe," she reluctantly agreed. "Though honestly I don't know which I think is worse; him purposefully using magic, or it just _accidentally_ happening. The binding spell is supposed to prevent it."

"I know, but...," Tony trailed off, unable to think of a good argument for why it was okay. After a while, he sighed. "I wanted him here. He came; whether he opened the door consciously or unconsciously, he still came here. I don't know if the spell is supposed to work like that or not, and seeing as Thor isn't on hand to ask, I don't see that there's realistically anything we can do about it either way."

Natasha did that silently-studying-him thing again, then gave him a very faint little smile. "Tony. You like having him near, don't you?"

"Um. Yeah, I guess I do," he reluctantly admitted. "At least a little."

She nodded slowly. "Apart from Jarvis and your robots... has there ever been anyone who's just... hung around with you a lot? A friend, a classmate, a pet? Pepper?"

"Pepper, on and off, though mostly she was busy with doing PA things, and then running the company. Companies. It's actually a whole pack of them, the way it's organized."

"I know, I worked for you and Pepper for a while too, you'll recall," Natasha pointed out dryly, giving him a real smile for a moment.

"Yeah. Anyway... no pets, just the robots. Rhodey when I was growing up, though usually only an hour or two here and there, we only overlapped in school for half a year before I got bumped a grade again and I didn't have as much time to spare for just hanging out with him as other kids would have. Though we have racked up what's probably several thousand hours of phone calls, online chat, Skype and so on over the years. What else... well, Steve sometimes comes to hang out in the lab, and Bruce and I are back and forth between each other's labs pretty frequently. With all of you living here, too, I've hung out way more with you guys than I ever have with most other people. Can I guess that where you're going with this is that Loki is possibly the first living being that's actually stayed in my presence every day, all day, for days on end? And that maybe that's why I'm starting to feel so attached to him?"

Natasha nodded. "Good. At least you're aware of the possibility, since I doubt that it's his charming personality that's behind it."

"Yeah, I remember what an asshole he normally is. Thrown out a window by him and so forth. Though you have to admit he acts a lot more tolerable when in convenient pet shape. Actually he's kind of clingy in an adorably cute way."

Natasha smiled again. "Maybe you're the first person he's spent this much time with too, or at least the first one who isn't his brother or his brother's close friends. Though I think the important thing to remember is that it's not the real him you're seeing; don't forget that behind the fluffy Pomeranian or Persian is a man who tried to kill you, who tried to invade our planet, and is directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of several hundred people."

"I know. I do remember that, usually on a daily basis. But you're right, it's hard not to get... attached, when I'm so close to him all the time. Maybe I should get a real pet when all this is over, now that I've seen how nice it can be."

Natasha bit her lip for a moment. "Just don't turn into a cat hoarder, or I _will_ stage an intervention," she said sternly.

Tony laughed. "I promise. No more than... let's see... three maybe? And a dog? I bet Cap would love us having a dog. You and he really seemed to like taking Loki for walks and runs when he was in dog form. Hell, even Bruce took him out the once. I'd say a golden retriever but we already have Thor. Maybe a border collie or a retired greyhound or something like that. I'm babbling now, aren't I? I'm going to blame the painkiller kicking in. Speaking of, I think I need to lie down and sleep some more. Are we done now?"

"Yes, we're done now," Natasha said, sounding amused as she picked up the tray and rose to her feet.

"Good. Jarvis, let Bruce know that Loki can come back now, okay?" Tony asked as he rolled over on his side, injured arm uppermost.

" _Yes, sir._ "

Natasha left. A couple of minutes later there was the faint padding sound of a cat running across the floor, and then a tiny black cat was hauling itself up over the edge of the bed. Tony smiled, and smiled even wider when Loki came and stretched out along his chest, digging his pointed chin rather uncomfortably into Tony's left arm before beginning to purr, eyes slitting half-closed. Tony carefully draped his injured arm across the cat, then sighed and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Waking up to find himself pressed chest to chest with Tony, his head resting on the smaller man's arm, was a mildly surprising experience. Loki certainly hadn't intended to fall asleep again so soon, but the instincts of the form he'd taken must have overridden his own desires, and it had already been awake considerably longer than a cat normally would have been.

He allowed himself to remain there, studying Tony's face, so close to his own. Close enough to see the crow's feet, the smile lines, the few broken veins that old injuries or heavy drinking had left. An imperfect face; a very human one. It was very pleasant to just lay there, watching Tony sleep while he waited for the binding spell to catch up and change his form again.

Loki shifted position after a while, lifting his head just enough to look at the angle of the sun through the windows and make a guess as to how long he'd been asleep – no more than a couple of hours – before setting his head back down again. The movement was enough to disturb Tony; Loki froze as his eyes opened a little. They focused slowly on Loki's face, then Tony smiled, slowly and lazily, his eyes still half-shut, heavy with sleep and the drug he'd been given.

"Hey," Tony said softly, his injured arm tightening slightly. Tony shifted position a little, one leg hooking over Loki's own, head moving a little closer as it he was about to kiss Loki, even as his eyelids drifted closed again. "Beau'ful," he murmured, then sighed, going lax in sleep.

Loki swallowed thickly, feeling his heart beating wildly. He wished he could believe that smile was really meant for him, but as drugged and on the edge of sleep as Tony was, he thought it doubtful that the man had even really recognized him. The spell finally took hold, transforming him into another cat; a long-bodied dark brown mackerel tabby, heavily tipped enough for the markings in his coat to only just be visible. He jumped down from the bed, and finished off the water remaining in the bowl on the tray by the door, then leaped up onto the windowsill. He stalked along it, until he found a spot where he had a good view of the city spread out below and could see Tony reflected in the glass if he turned his head a little to one side. The sun was at an angle that was lighting that section of the sill, and he lay there quietly, enjoying the warmth and watching the city outside, occasionally glancing sideways to the reflection to check if Tony was awake yet.

He felt... oddly content, just being there, waiting out the few hours until Tony stirred and finally woke again. More than content, when Tony's first action was, as it had been earlier in the day, to look around to see where Loki was. Loki watched the reflection of Tony as he smiled briefly in Loki's direction, then rolled sluggishly out of bed and headed off to the bathroom again. When he heard the shower start running, he jumped down to the floor, padding over to crouch down near the door, inner eyelid sliding partially shut as he enjoyed the thrumming sound of the shower, so close to the tone of his own purr.

He rose to his feet again the moment the door opened, looking up at Tony and meowing once, imperiously. Tony came to an abrupt stop, looking down at him with some surprise, then a soft smile crossed his face and he crouched down for a moment to run his hand down Loki's back. "Hey," he said, in a surprisingly fond tone of voice, much as he had on waking. Loki stropped himself against Tony's leg, then walked over and sat down near the bedroom door, looking pointedly from the long empty tray to Tony.

Tony grinned. "Hungry again? Me too. Let me just get decent and we'll go do something about food," he promised, then walked over to the chest of drawers and started pulling out articles of clothing, quickly dressed himself in a saggy pair of well-worn jeans and a faded red muscle shirt, leaving his feet bare. He bent down and scooped up Loki, who immediately squirmed around to sniff suspiciously at the freshly wrapped wound in his arm.

"Don't worry, I kept it covered in the shower," Tony said. "As often as I pick up injuries in the suit, I keep supplies on hand for doing things like protecting cuts from water."

Loki leaned back and gave him a narrow-eyed look.

"I promise it's fine, and anyway I'm sure Bruce or one of the medical staff will take another look at it when I go for the next round of blood samples," Tony reassured him as he opened the bedroom door, then shifted around to tuck Loki under one arm, and picked up the tray with the other hand, carrying both of them downstairs.

Clint and Bruce were seated in the kitchen, passing takeout containers back and forth as they piled food onto their plates.

"Is that curry I smell? What did you guys get?" Tony asked as he set the tray down on the counter by the sink and Loki down on the floor, then opened the freezer to get out a plastic container of the homemade cat food, throwing it in the microwave to defrost.

Clint spoke up, gesturing at the different dishes. "Samosas, onion bhajia, paneer tawaa masala, aloo gobhi, I forget what that there is called but it's curried chick peas, and naan. Lots of naan, I know you like it."

"Chole," Bruce spoke up. "The chick peas are called chole. And we have raita as well, in case anything is too spicy for either of you."

"Excellent," Tony said, and quickly set out the warmed food and a bowl of fresh water for Loki, then joined the other two men at the table, helping himself to a heaping plate of the various offerings.

Loki made short work of his own food, then leaped up to the top of the table, amused by the way his sudden appearance made Clint flinch back and Bruce freeze up for just a moment. He sat down, sniffing interestedly at the strong odours, making a face as he found most of them distinctly unappetizing to this body. He moved over and stretched out on the table near Tony's plate, purring when Tony paused in his eating long enough to pet him briefly.

After the meal Bruce took Tony back down to the medical level, while Loki was told to remain behind. He wasn't entirely pleased about that, and waited impatiently for Tony's return, stretching out on his side on the floor where he could keep an eye on both the elevator lobby and on Clint, who was occupying a couch in Tony's living room, playing video games. Natasha showed up after a while, filled a plate with leftovers, and went and sat with Clint, leaning against his shoulder while he played. When she'd finished eating Clint put aside the controller and switched off the TV, and the two of them put all the leftovers away in the fridge and the dishes into the dishwasher before leaving.

It was very quiet after they'd gone. Loki lay there for a while, listening to the silence of the empty penthouse, then rolled over to an upright seated position, meowed loudly, and waved one paw in mid-air. Jarvis projected his specialized interface near him, and he spent a couple of minutes selecting some music, then settled down to read for a while. He'd already decided that he'd currently absorbed a surfeit of their overly complicated history, and was instead concentrating on more universally constant subjects such as sciences and maths. Not all of it was in accord with the accumulated knowledge of the Aesir, of course, but he was interested in trying to make sense of their interpretation of the universe, and some of the misconceptions or outright missing areas of knowledge were fascinating.

He lost himself in that for a while, not even noticing how much time was passing until the demands of this body broke him out of his thoughts. He rose and stretched, and made his way to the kitchen for some more water, feeling concerned when he realized that Tony had now been absent for several hours. He paced, and waited a while longer, then went and crouched in the elevator lobby, staring at their closed doors. He felt unsettled, part of him wanting to go find Tony, part of him knowing he should obey Tony's command to remain here. He became more and more restless as time passed without Tony reappearing, the desire to go to Tony becoming strong enough to feel like an almost physical pull. Down, somewhere... not as far as the medical floor, but down. The labs, perhaps.

The stairwell door creaked opened, just a few inches. Loki was on his feet and dashing through the gap then down the spiralling stairs immediately, following the tug downwards a full twelve stories until a door eased open at his approach, letting him out into a short hallway he easily recognized as that outside of Tony's lab. He padded rapidly over to the Acme Labs marked entrance, sitting down and meowing loudly outside the still-shut door. It slid open, and there was Tony, just turning in his seat at a workbench to look toward the door, Bruce looking up from where he was sitting perched on the edge of the bench, smiling as Loki dashed across the floor and leapt up into Tony's lap. Loki purred loudly as Tony caught him, warm strong hands wrapping around him and holding him close, finally back where he wanted to be.


	35. Pawns and Sockpuppets

Tony had been mildly surprised to find Steve waiting for him and Bruce when they emerged from the elevators at the medical floor. He came to a stop, studying the unhappy expression on Steve's face, then grimaced. "You're grounding me," he guessed.

Steve nodded. "Yes, for the next two or three days, until they take you off the stronger painkillers and put you on ones that don't impair your judgement and reaction time. At least the doctor told me that you should be healed up enough for the switch by then. You good with that, or are you going to argue with me?"

Tony considered for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "Yeah, fine, though if something extra-super-bad comes along I hope you know I'll be saying fuck it and joining you guys in the field anyway."

Steve smiled crookedly. "If something extra-super-bad comes along then I think that yes, we'd be slightly more worried about winning the fight than your level of impairment. But I don't want you suiting up for anything less than potential Armageddon unless I give you permission otherwise. Clear?"

"Yeah, yeah, very clear. You got that Jarvis?"

" _Yes, Sir, suits on lock-down until use of them is cleared by Captain Steve Rogers._ "

Steve's eyebrows rose slightly. "I didn't realize Jarvis was on this floor."

"Technically he's on every floor of the tower, including a few that don't officially exist," Tony explained. "Anyway, let's get this medical hoopla over and done with, I hate hospitals, even tiny ones that I own myself."

Steve smiled, and fell into step with Tony as Bruce led the way the same examining room Tony had been in the night before. A different nurse was already waiting there for their arrival, and quickly took the required blood samples, checked the healing wound, re-dressed it and left.

"We done here?" Tony asked Bruce.

"Yeah, we're good," Bruce agreed, and the three of them headed back to the elevators. Bruce stopped Tony's reach for the penthouse button, pressing the 'doors close' button instead, and glanced at Steve. "We should talk. Without Loki on hand."

Tony looked back and forth between the two of them. "Been brought up to speed on last night's events, I take it?"

Bruce nodded. "Natasha and Steve told me, yes. Clint's been updated as well; of all of us he's naturally the most unhappy about the situation."

"Understandable," Tony said. "My lab good for this?"

"Sure," Steve agreed.

Tony pressed the button for his floor. "I'll say right off the bat, I don't think Loki's a danger to us right now. Gut feeling."

Steve smiled. "I think I'd still like to talk it over. I'd prefer to have more than just your abdomen's emotions to go on."

Tony grinned. "Fair enough," he agreed.

They settled into Tony's lab, each in their preferred places; Tony at a workbench, Steve sprawled on the couch, Bruce wandering around the room and looking curiously at the assortment of ongoing projects. Tony picked up a device he'd been working on – the modified version of the Doombot's needle gun that he'd been thinking of adding to the next version of his suit – and then set it down and spun to face Steve. "So... questions?"

"Why do you believe Loki isn't currently a danger?"

"The spell is still holding him. And even if it failed, I don't think he'd necessarily be in a big rush to leave."

"Why not?" Bruce asked.

Tony opened his mouth, then paused, frowning. "I'm... not entirely certain on that point, actually. But, okay, the chitauri. We know they backed his attack here, and in return we blew up a ton of them. We _beat them_. Then they tried to grab Loki from prison on Asgard, and Thor dumped Loki on us because he thought Loki was safer here with us. When he told us about that... I don't remember his exact wording, but thinking back I don't believe he ever said that the chitauri had tried to _rescue_ Loki. I think he'd just said that they'd failed to snatch him, more or less. Jarvis?"

" _That is correct, Sir, the word rescue was never used._ "

Steve and Bruce were both frowning thoughtfully over that. Bruce spoke up next. "If it wasn't a rescue..."

"That's what puzzles me, I think," Tony said. "If it wasn't a rescue, why were they after him?"

Steve spoke up, his expression going distant and bleak. "There was a time back in the war when a HYDRA scientist messed up and we successfully captured him, I managed to knock him out before he could suicide. HYDRA somehow found out we had him, and where. They spent quite a few lives in a massive raid to get him back. But it wasn't a rescue; we later learned that they'd tortured him to death afterwards, as an example to the rest. Failure and capture were not to be tolerated; only success or suicide."

After a brief silence, Tony spoke. "And Loki failed the chitauri pretty massively. So, yeah, maybe that's what I couldn't put my finger on, though I think maybe my subconscious had figured it out already. Loki doesn't want to leave here, because we're currently the only protection between him and the chitauri. We _beat them_ before. Until and unless Asgard wipes them out, he's got to be worrying that they'll recapture him, drag him back, and express their extreme displeasure over his failure. Does this make sense?"

"It's at least a possibility," Bruce agreed, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms. "Though so far I'd call it an untested theorem."

Steve was frowning again. "Recapture him, you said. Why _re_ capture?"

Tony blinked. "I... don't know why. I think my subconscious might be having more thoughts it hasn't chosen to brief me in on yet." That drew a snort of laughter from Bruce and a briefly amused look from Steve. "It is food for thought though; what if Loki wasn't the puppet-master of the invasion; what if he was one of the puppets."

"A pawn?" Bruce said dubiously.

"Mmm, not quite, one of the higher game pieces than that, but probably not the queen or king," Tony said. "A piece that can be easily sacrificed without losing the game. You know, that sort of fits with what Steve said about the HYDRA non-rescue. In which case the chitauri were the pawns – maybe they were all the other pieces as well – but definitely the pawns. Cheap. Numerous. Expendable."

"You realize we have no real evidence for any of this, right?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, I know, it just happens to hold together, at least tenuously. But it's mostly just a collection of what ifs at this point in time. I think we still want to keep it in mind though, because if Loki wasn't the real leader of the chitauri, then somewhere out there is someone who _is_. And it's someone who wanted earth, or something we have. Space, resources, power, something else maybe, but whatever it was, was something that they considered worth spending time and effort on trying to acquire. Something worth promising Loki a kingdom on earth for, assuming they'd even actually follow through on that and not just fuck him over once they had what they wanted."

"I don't like that idea," Steve said. "I _really_ don't like that idea. Loki and the chitauri he brought were hard enough to deal with; the thought of something strong enough to be using Loki as nothing more than a sockpuppet is disturbing, especially if it's something that might still have an interest in us."

"Yeah, and with Thor still not here and Loki not in any kind of talkative mood so far, it's not like we can enquire," Tony said, suddenly feeling frustrated. "I guess we just have to hope that Asgard is delivering enough of an ass-kicking to the chitauri and their theoretical puppet-master that it's not going to be a worry. Though given that it's been over a month since Thor dropped the black sheep of the family in our laps, I have to admit I'm feeling more than a little nervous. What's taking him so long to get back to us? The way Thor talks about things back home, you'd think they could have smashed the chitauri into tiny little smithereens ina week tops without even having to try all that hard."

"Have I said already I don't like this chain of thought?" Steve asked, sounding unsettled.

"I don't think any of us like it, Cap. At this point I'd be heartily relieved if Thor was to show up tomorrow morning, tell us he'd been kicking back on vacation for a couple weeks somewhere after wiping the floor with the chitauri, and dragged his darling baby brother back home for continued time out."

"I don't think we can ignore the possibility though," Bruce said slowly. "Thor brought Loki here because he wanted him to have our protection. That implies to me that he thought there was some chance that Loki might actually _need_ our protection at some point; that they couldn't protect him properly on Asgard. Because as messed up as their relationship is, you know Thor still loves his brother; he'd want him kept safe."

Steve groaned and slid down a little, covering his eyes with his forearm. "I really _really_ don't like this conversation."

Tony frowned. "Yeah, well, honestly, neither do I. But I think Bruce is right, we need to keep it in mind. And I think I better bump up the priority on finishing that magic sensor thingamabob. Jarvis, how's progress on the particle accelerator going?"

" _Construction should be completed the day after tomorrow. Testing will require approximately twelve hours, after which production of small amounts of synthetic vibranium will become possible._ "

"Okay, so I can probably get the first sensor element made in two or three days time. Excellent. Cap, you're our strategist, maybe give some thought to how we're going to handle it if the chitauri come knocking on our door again."

Steve groaned again and dropped his arm, then pushed himself to a more upright position, sitting on the edge of the couch. "I hate that we didn't think about this a month ago. If you're right, we've been in danger of another chitauri attack all this time, and _we haven't been prepared for it._ "

"Yeah, I guess we were all too hung up on and freaked out by the whole 'Thor's evil little brother Loki is living in our house' to think overly much about _why_ he was here," Tony said grimly. "Let's all try to think about it now though. After swearing to Thor that we'd protect Loki it'd be kind of embarrassing to mess up."

Steve's cell phone beeped at him. He slid it out of his pocket and hit a couple of buttons, then smiled. "I have to go. I'll get back to you about this tomorrow," he said, and bounced to his his feet, nodding to the two of them before hurrying off, texting back a reply as he left.

"He's really gotten a lot better with that phone lately," Tony said after the doors had slid shut behind him. "Two months ago he flatly refused to ever try texting again."

"Two months ago he wasn't dating Natasha," Bruce pointed out, smiling slightly. "He just needed a good impetus to acquire the skill."

Tony grinned. "I wonder if they ever sext each other."

"I don't know and I don't want to know," Bruce said firmly, then walked over and sat down on the couch. "And I wouldn't recommend trying to spy on them and find out. You wouldn't want Natasha mad at you."

"Or Steve either, but yeah, of the two Natasha is the more likely to do something extremely painful and humiliating in return. Steve would just stand by and hold her coat for her while she did it."

"Ever the perfect gentleman," Bruce agreed, smiling slightly. A brief silence fell after that, Bruce lying back and thinking, Tony fiddling around with some of the odds and ends on his workbench. "This... thing, with Loki moving around when he hasn't been told to," Bruce said slowly after a while.

"Yeah?" Tony asked, setting down what he'd been working on, and turning to face Bruce.

"Natasha said you'd told her that you wanted him there, so it didn't worry you that he'd come."

"It didn't worry me," Tony agreed. "I might not have told him to come, but he did. Actually it might be that I _did_ tell him," he pointed out, and reached up to tap a finger against the necklace. "Loki might have been too far away to hear me say I wanted him there, but _this_ heard."

"Mmm. Could be," Bruce agreed thoughtfully.

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "Could be? Sounds like you're thinking it might be something else. Share with the class, Brucey baby."

Bruce smiled crookedly. "This might be a little... out there. Tell me, is there ever a time when you _don't_ want him nearby?"

Tony opened his mouth, then closed it, and frowned. "No," he finally said after a while. "I kind of like having him near. I've gotten used to his company. It's nice to not be alone, even if the company usually has four legs and fur and it not exactly on the talkative side. Lord knows I talk enough for both of us most of the time anyway."

Bruce nodded. "Jarvis, show us what Loki's up to at the moment." A display bloomed into view to one side of them, showing Loki lying on the floor near the elevator lobby, reading something on a display of his own while music played. Bruce smiled crookedly. "Looks to me like he's waiting for you to get back. He likes being near you too."

"Maybe he does," Tony agreed, watching the display with interest. "I did tell Natasha that he's kind of clingy lately. Jarvis, what's that he's studying?"

" _He's working his way through recent texts on sub-atomic particles at the moment, Sir._ "

"Into the sciences now, is he? Interesting," Tony observed, then looked back to Bruce again. "You're looking a little smug. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that maybe the reason why he came to you last night despite the binding spell telling him to stay near Phil was a much older and simpler reason than anything magic. You both wanted to be together," he said, and held up a hand to silence Tony before Tony could say anything in response to that. "Hear me out. There's a way to maybe test it. You ordered him to remain in the penthouse, right?"

"Yeah, I did," Tony agreed, and glanced over to the screen where Loki was busy reading. "I told him to stay."

"Okay. Just humour me then, and without saying anything verbally about it. I want you to think about how much you'd like him here. That's all. Just let yourself miss his presence. Jarvis, if Loki tries to go anywhere, please don't either help or hinder his movements."

" _Of course, Dr Banner._ "

"Okay," Tony agreed, and settled back with his hands tucked together in his lap, looking at the display of Loki. They waited several minutes, without anything happening.

Bruce frowned, then rose to his feet. "Oh... Tony, why don't you work on something for a few minutes. I need to think."

Tony lifted his eyebrows at Bruce, then turned to his workbench and called up a display, setting to work on sketching out several different ideas for sensor elements to try out once they had the vibranium manufacturing underway. The next time he glanced over to where the display of Loki had been, it was gone, and he felt a brief pang of disappointment; it had been nice being able to watch Loki even when he wasn't right there. Almost as nice as actually having Loki here with him would be. He sighed and went back to work, losing himself in the details of standardizing the electrical connections of the sensor machine to work with a variety of possible sensor elements.

Bruce came over after a while, and sat down on the edge of the workbench, a pleased-looking smile on his face, studying a small display he had cupped in one hand. He grinned briefly, then glanced at Tony and dismissed the display. "Open the door, Jarvis," he said softly.

Tony turned to look as the lab door slid open, and grinned as Loki dashed across the floor and leapt up into his lap, purring loudly as soon as Tony caught him and began petting him. He exchanged a look with Bruce; he hadn't said anything aloud, but Loki had come anyway, and without Jarvis' help.

"We can talk more about this tomorrow," Bruce said, and rose to his feet. "Good-night, Tony. Loki."

"Night, Bruce," Tony said, and then looked down at Loki, running his hands down his back and listening to his deep thrumming purr. Was it really something that simple? That they just _wanted_ to be together, and so it happened? He wasn't sure he could believe something like that. It seemed too... too Disney movie of the week to be real. But then so was the magic that had been keeping Loki in animal forms all this time.

"Come on, time for bed again I think," he said, and carried Loki back upstairs.

* * *

Loki woke. It was still dark, Tony still sleeping, as he'd been both of the other times Loki had woken since they'd gone to bed. He bit back a curse, torn between wanting to be able to sleep the whole night through himself, and the knowledge that the frequent changes were having the desired effect; he could feel the additional looseness of the spell, the extra give in it that was allowing him to wake for slightly longer periods of time every time he cycled from human to animal form.

Tony was having a restless night, which wasn't helping with Loki's own ability to sleep; he woke every time the other man rolled over. Tony was sprawled out on his back at the moment, sheets down around his waist leaving the arc reactor in his chest fully exposed, his uninjured arm crooked up above his head, the injured arm out to the side. All his shifting around had the gauze wrapping falling loose, exposing the partially healed scar of the original wound and the ugly gash of the more recent surgical cleaning of the infection. Loki frowned at it, disliking it, glad that it meant Tony was healing but displeased with the ugliness of it. He reached out and lightly traced the skin around it with his fingertips, then cupped his hand over it. The palm of his hand felt itchy, but in a good way, so he left his hand there until the binding finally turned him into a cat again.

He rose, then, and went down to the kitchen, drinking water from his bowl and then prowling around the penthouse level, restless and too full of energy to sleep again right away, feeling too unsettled to summon up his interface and study. He wandered down to the bottom floor of the penthouse, eventually finding himself in the pool room, silent but for the faint hum of the pool filter, lit only by the underwater lights casting caustic patterns on the ceiling and walls. He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and stared out at the darkened city for a while, then turned and walked over to the pool, lying down along the very edge of it so he could look down into the water, see his own distorted reflection in the trembling surface. A white cat, with black patches. He stretched one paw down and dabbled at the surface, enjoying the feeling of the water on the pads of his feet, swishing between his toes. He'd have smiled if he could, remembering Darcy helping him to swim.

He dozed, after a while, still balanced on the edge, and woke to dawn colours lighting the room, his bare arm trailing in the warm water. He smiled truly then, and rolled off into the pool, pushing off the side and swimmingly strongly down in the deep end, touching bottom before turning end for end and racing down the length of the pool underwater, enjoying the flow of the water past his skin, the drag of it through his hair. He blew out air as he rose, inhaling deeply as he broke the surface in the shallows. He smiled as he sunk back down, arching backwards as he ran his hands through his hair, sleeking it back as he rose to his feet again, water cascading down his skin.

How long since he'd last swum in human form, how long since he'd even _bathed_...

A startled inhalation broke his thoughts. He turned, to see Tony standing just inside the entrance of the room, eyes wide with surprise, staring at him with an intensity that made him shiver. He turned away, wading the few steps to the edge of the pool, then levered himself up and out, turning to sit on the edge with his legs still trailing in the water, ignoring his nakedness. "Tony," he said calmly, keeping his tone of voice light.

"Loki," Tony replied, eyes narrowing, and took a half-step forward. "I..." He broke off. "How?"

Loki shrugged. "No spell lasts forever," he said smoothly, and grinned. "Though the binding is still far from broken." He felt the change begin, and moved away from the edge of the pool, rolling over and rising to four feet, displeased by the dampness of his long black-tipped grey fur. Tony made a sound like a broken-off laugh; Loki glared at him, then walked around the pool and stopped near Tony, sitting down and looking up at him. He was a large cat this time, his head on a level with Tony's knees.

Tony crouched down, a troubled frown on his face as he reached out to slide his hand over Loki's head, hand coming to rest on Loki's back, then resuming motion as his fingers dug into Loki's fur and scratched enjoyable around his shoulders and lower neck. Loki purred in approval, and rubbed his head against Tony's hand and wrist.

"Breakfast?" Tony asked after a minute, sounding both tired and amused.

Loki meowed in agreement, and led the way to the kitchen, Tony trailing along behind.


	36. In A Mirror, Darkly

Tony sat cross-legged on his bed, spooning cereal and milk into his mouth while watching Loki. Loki was stretched out on one side with his head raised, eyes half-slitted shut and watching Tony in turn. Finally Tony sighed, and set down his mostly-empty bowl, picking up his coffee mug before speaking.

"So I'm feeling just a little freaked out right now," he said. "On the one hand you've been very, ah, _honest_ with me, about the binding spell and it not holding you like it should any more, or at least I'm guessing that's why you were, um, human and awake. And not just today, but on and off for a while now. So there's that. And there's also this," he said, gesturing with one hand at the currently exposed wound in his arm, taking a large gulp of coffee before continuing. "There's no way this should be as far along in healing as it already is, not unless something is helping it along, and I kind of have to assume that something is or was you, especially since Jarvis tells me that you'd been touching it earlier. Before you went downstairs, and, um... went swimming."

He had to stop speaking for a moment then, remembering the almost visceral shock he'd felt at walking in on that; Loki, arched over backwards in the water, then rising to his feet, water sluicing down his slender form as he pushed his long hair back from his face. Totally nude, and not the least bit self-conscious about everything being on display. And given Tony's pre-existing attraction to Loki's physical form, pretty much an instant 'hello, I'm awake!' beginning boner moment. Even just the memory of it made things perk up a little, and him very thankful that he was old enough that it took _time_ to get a decent stiffy. Leaving him plenty of time to sabotage it with a few distasteful mental images, and not having to deal with the embarrassment of such an obvious tell.

Tony frowned. "You and I need to talk. Really talk, and not just about this, this whole binding spell fading thing. You've been here over a month now, Loki, and there's not been any word from Thor, any news about how Asgard is progressing in their war against the chitauri. We're starting to feel a little worried here. Especially since, well, the word 'rescue' was never used, was it. If the chitauri aren't after you to rescue you, then Steve thinks, we think, that there's a chance they're after you to punish you. Now, we intend to protect you in either case, but it would really help if we had a better idea of what we're dealing with here. And while as a cat you can't make much more than an amusing range of meows and meeps and mrowls and purring and so on... there's Jarvis. You have an interface. If you can read you can probably write, and even if you only have a, a, have a _pictographic_ understanding of words we can always put together a communication board for you or something."

He took a deep breath, and let it out. "But it'll only work if you choose to cooperate. I can't force you to talk to me. I can only ask. Please."

Loki lay still, watching him closely, then rolled to his feet, eyes narrowing for a moment. He meowed loudly, batting one paw in mid-air, and his usual interface to Jarvis appeared in front of him. A rapid series of paw-bats brought him to a keyboard display, and then Jarvis spoke, shifting his tones to a lower register, sounding not entirely unlike Loki's natural voice as he read out what Loki had typed. " __Ask._ "

Tony grinned. "Great. Is it okay if I get another coffee first? Actually, I'm probably going to need a whole pot of coffee for this, how about we just take it down to the lab. Quieter there and I can work while we talk."

" __Yes,_ " Loki agreed, and dismissed the interface, then waited patiently while Tony changed from sleepwear to actual clothing and gathered up the remains of his breakfast.

* * *

Tony wandered around the lab for a couple of minutes, trying to decide what to work on. The sensor was still a priority, but he didn't think he could concentrate sufficiently on that while talking to Loki. Or rather, listening to Loki, as Jarvis read out his words. The needler... no, better yet, the improved armour for Clint and Natasha, who as the most unprotected members of the team _needed_ better armour. Granted Natasha had apparently had some kind of augmentation back in Russia, something that gave her a healing factor rather higher than normal human, even if not to Steve's awesome level, she and Clint were still both the two most breakable members of the team, and Clint in particular seemed to have a habit of getting himself broken, throwing himself off buildings being just one of his favourites.

Tony settled at a workbench, calling up lists of experimental materials, suit patterns, his files of previous ideation and trials, and glanced over to where Loki was seated on the couch, interface open and looking patiently in Tony's direction. "Okay. So... why are the chitauri after you. Rescue, reward, revenge, other...?"

" __Revenge. I was their cat's-paw, and I failed them. Rule of earth was merely a carrot, and not a particularly tasty one._ "

"And there was a stick, to make sure you went that way whether or not you actually wanted the carrot?"

" __Yes. Torment, if I failed. A promise that there was no where I could hide where they would not eventually find me._ "

"Who holds the stick? The chitauri themselves? Or were you both working for someone else?"

" __The chitauri and I were merely pawns. There is a being known only as the Other. He is servant to a greater being yet. It was the Other who enforced my obedience. You are familiar with the ways in which such things may be done._ "

Tony shivered, and looked up from the design he was sketching out. "Yeah. Torture. You're saying they tortured you?"

" __Yes. I was already damaged after my fall from Asgard. The chitauri found me, lost and adrift, half-mad already from my time in the void. The Other took me apart, warped me to suit his purposes, tried to remake me into his obedient little tool. He was not entirely successful._ "

"Not entirely successful sounds to me like he did at least partially succeed."

" __I came here, did I not? I fulfilled at least part of his intentions, by stealing the Tesseract and opening the portal to give the chitauri access to this world._ "

Tony paused and looked over at him again. "Are you implying you planned to fail?"

" __No. Though you would not have liked the way I planned to win._ "

"Ah. Let me guess... something really messy and destructive?"

" __I had no reason to care about the lives of humans. Rather the reverse, if anything. Though my plan would have failed anyway, as it did not make allowances for the willingness of you humans to destroy their own kind in an attempt to seal the portal._ "

"The nuke, you mean?"

" __Yes. Even I, who turned far more destructive powers against the planet of my birth, did not foresee that humans would be so willing to make use of such a weapon against a city full of your own people._ "

"Yeah, that certainly wasn't our finest hour. So how did you intend to betray them? The Tesseract was right there, it wouldn't have been that hard for them to grab it, if that's what they were after."

" __It was protected, from everything but the sceptre they'd given me; I made sure to have Selvig leave a secret backdoor. I meant to wait until the main warship was passing through the portal, and then close it._ "

"The warship I kind of accidentally nuked?"

" __That's the one,_ " Loki agreed. " _Its power source would have failed catastrophically when the portal closed; the result would have been an explosion of a force similar to a large meteor strike._ "

Tony froze, then pushed his chair away from the table to turn and look at Loki, feeling more than a little horrified. "How big are we talking here? Do you mean, like... a dinosaur killer level event? End of life on earth as we know it?"

" __No. There would have been enough climactic disturbance to throw your societies into turmoil that I could then have taken advantage of without the need for chitauri assistance if I wished, but only on a small scale as such events are measured._ "

"Okay... I have to say, as much as I am all for most plans that involve sticking it to assholes who are trying to force people to do evil things, I don't think that's a plan I could ever have gotten behind. Especially as, if I was even still alive at the point when the big ship came through, I'd have been at ground zero for your little explosion. An explosion which you clearly believe _you_ could have survived, but which I'm pretty damned certain there was no way in hell that me and the other eight million inhabitants of New York would have lived through. Not to mention large swathes of the rest of the eastern seaboard. Not to mention however many _billions_ might have died due to the subsequent 'climactic disturbances' and related effects like widespread flooding, drought, crop-failure and famine, and related wars. I don't think I'm at all okay with just how thoroughly you planned to fuck us up, and all because your daddy didn't love you enough and you wanted to break your brother's favourite toy."

His hands were actually shaking when he finished speaking, his throat aching from the volume he'd reached at the end, almost but not quite yelling. God, he was so _furious_... and Loki was just lying there, watching him intently. Finally Loki stirred, typed a brief sentence.

" __It is not a plan I would be able to consider implementing now that I have lived among you._ "

"And that's supposed to make it _better?_ "

" __No,_ " Loki typed, then abandoned the interface, leaping down off the couch and padding across the floor, standing up on his hind legs with his forepaws resting on Tony's thighs, looking anxiously back and forth from his lap to his face.

Tony sighed. "All right. Yes, you can come up," he said, then lifted Loki up into his lap and wrapped his arms around the cat, kind of glad that Loki was in a form large enough for a decent hug. He rose to his feet and paced back and forth for a while, just holding onto Loki and listening to the deep purr at his ear, Loki's head tucked in on his left shoulder, pressing warmly against the side of his neck.

He was feeling kind of conflicted at the moment; on the one hand, he understood so very easily the impulse to destroy anyone and everyone who'd hurt him that badly, to do it as messily and nastily as possible; he'd been there. He'd come damn close to doing just that, in escaping from the Ten Rings, and later returning to take out even more of them. He hadn't killed all of them; far from it, the weapons he'd been able to outfit the suit with in the cave were not intended to be lethal, but even non-lethal weapons could kill, and the suit itself could kill, he _knew_ there was blood on his hands by the time he'd flown away. But... they'd not been innocent, none of them, or at least _as far as he knew_ none of them had been innocent. It was entirely possible that some of the men there had been there for reasons such as Yinsen had claimed to have, their families held hostage for their good behaviour. But at least he'd limited the damage he'd done, unlike Loki he hadn't cold-bloodedly planned the murder of millions of innocent lives as part of his fuck off gesture during his escape.

Though god only knows how many thousands of people had died over the years thanks to a Stark Industries weapon. Though that was _different_ , it hadn't been his hands that had selected the targets, fired the missiles, pulled the triggers. And he'd stopped it, SI didn't make weapons any more and he'd destroyed what he could of any remaining stockpiles, though there would likely be old ordinance and still-functioning guns with his name on them floating around for years yet to come.

He realized he wasn't at all sure which of the two of them was being comforted and which offering comfort now, and maybe it was both at once, maybe they both needed it right then, Loki and he both reminded too strongly of times when they'd been helpless and hurting, of destructive things they'd done in their separate pasts. He sat down on the couch, and just cuddled the damned cat and waited for the shaking to stop. And laughed, when Dummy rolled over with the new Loki-blanket, the previous one having gone missing while Tony was down in medical, and waved it at him.

"Sure, cover us up," he said, rolling over to lie down, and waited while Dummy did his best to spread it over the two of them, straightening it up a little once the bot rolled happily away.

He lay there quietly, petting Loki. "All right. Yeah, I don't like the plan you had but I can understand why you made it. I could wish you'd considered some option that involved less wide-spread destruction. I'm damned glad you failed. I'm not angry at you or anything like that; the past is a thing that we can't change. I can only hope that you never, ever consider something even remotely like that again, though I have to say your track record is not exactly impressing me at the moment. One attempt at wide-spread destruction is bad enough, two is... two is really not good. I'm still willing to protect you, not just because I promised Thor but also because it sounds like this Other and whoever his master are just the kind of assholes that I'd hate enough to protect you from them even if I _despised_ you, and I don't. Don't despise you. Not entirely sure I like you or trust you, but I don't hate you either. Not that you likely care about what I think of you, you've got that whole 'I am a god and you are but worthless peasants' schtick after all."

He fell silent for a couple of minutes. "Part of me wants to like you. I like, I like _this_ you, the part of you that is here when you're in animal form, that hangs out with me in my lab and likes to sleep curled up beside me at night and listens to me ramble without complaining or running away or trying to change the subject. I know that's not all of you, but it's the part of you I've had time to come to know. I want to know more about you, even the ugly bits, maybe even _especially_ the ugly bits. I want to try and understand you, because from everything I've ever heard Thor tell about how and why you ended up here, it sounds like the two of us are kind of scarily alike, it's like you're a darker, meaner, more broken version of me. And that both scares me and intrigues me; wondering what the difference is. Wondering how close I came to going to the dark side instead of trying to turn myself into a hero."

Loki's purring had stopped, his head lifted to look intently at Tony. He stretched out one paw, placing it on Tony's mouth, letting his claws curve out just enough to barely prick the skin before retracting them.

"Are you telling me to stop talking?" Tony asked. "You are, you want me to..." He broke off as Loki's eyes narrowed, the claws sliding out again. He gently took hold of Loki's paw and moved it away. "Right. Shutting up now."

Loki drew his paw free of Tony's grip and then shifted position slightly, stretching out on top of Tony with his chin resting on his forepaws, eyes drifting shut as Tony resumed stroking his back. He sighed, once, head rolling to one side a little, and then Tony found himself pinned down beneath a naked, sleeping Loki, Loki's head resting on Tony's chest, his arms draped around Tony's shoulders, their legs tangled together.

"Fuck," Tony mouthed, feeling himself blush in embarrassment and, okay, yes, maybe flushed just a little in arousal too, and feeling very, very glad for the blanket that was already draped over the two of them. "Jarvis, lock down the lab. No one comes in without permission," he said very quietly.

" _Yes, sir,_ " Jarvis answered equally softly.

Dummy came over and took hold of one corner of the blanket. Tony hastily grabbed it and tugged it free. "No. Dummy, no, leave that where it is. The blanket is just fine. Look, just go get me a coffee or something, okay? Good boy."

* * *

Loki woke slowly, aware of movement around him and the feeling of a body pressed to his own. There was an arm hooked around him, holding him in place, and Tony's voice singing softly, more mouthing the words than actually vocalizing them. He lifted his head, and found that Tony was holding him while typing in mid-air with one hand, ear-buds in as he listened to music that was loud enough to be just barely audible to Loki.

Tony broke off singing and typing as soon as Loki moved, reaching to yank the ear-buds free as he smiled nervously at Loki. "Awake again, I see. Man but you are a power napper as a cat."

Loki smirked. "And you cannot ever stop talking," he said, then shifted his weight to his own arms, pushing himself up a little, his expression becoming a more serious one as he studied Tony's face. "Part of me wants to know you better as well," he admitted, returning to their earlier conversation. "And for you to know me. Even the ugly parts, the dark side of me. I think you are perhaps the only person I've met who might truly be able to understand that side of me without... despising me for it."

He chewed on his lip for a moment, shifting his weight to one side so he could lift his hand to tuck his hair back behind one ear, then slowly reaching out to rest his hand against Tony's cheek. "I do not want your hate," he said softly as Tony's eyes widened, first in surprise, then his pupils dilating in desire as Loki leaned down over him. He paused, just the smallest of spaces left between them, lips almost but not quite touching.

He felt Tony shiver, felt the warm gust of his breath, then Tony lifted his own head just enough to close the distance between them, lips fitting to lips. A very brief, very dry kiss, before they both jerked apart, so close in action that it was impossible to say which of them had flinched first.

Loki smiled. "I do not think of any of you as worthless peasants any more. I'm not sure I ever really did," he said, then rolled off of the couch, gathering the blanket around his waist as he did so. He moved a few steps away, looking curiously around the lab, seeing it through human eyes for once instead of canine or feline. He turned back to look at Tony, who'd pushed himself partially upright, propped up on bent elbows, and was watching Loki with a curious expression on his face.

"Would you escape, if you could?" Tony asked. "If the binding spell failed right now, would you run away?"

Loki shrugged. "Perhaps. Though being here, protected by the Avengers, is likely as safe a place as any I can find. The chitauri exist a very long way from here; another dimension entirely, as your people phrase such things. The only way to easily bring them here was the Tesseract, and it is no longer here; it would be difficult for them to follow me."

"Difficult. Not impossible."

"No, not impossible. If Asgard does not keep them out, they might steal the Tesseract from the vaults there, and even failing that, there are routes from Asgard to here that they might take; Asgard touches many places, it is a nexus of sorts. There also may exist other means for them to gain access to Midgard, other places where the planes touch; the location of such hidden paths was once a hobby of mine."

Tony snorted, and swung his legs off the couch, sitting upright. "Is there anything we can do to prevent or detect them following you?"

"Perhaps. I will tell you what I can," Loki agreed, and then shrunk down, form changing yet again. Another cat. He was growing tired of the species, though it was serving its purpose quite admirably. He was perturbed to realize how low-down his viewpoint had shifted to, startled and then annoyed by the burst of laughter that escaped Tony's mouth, the wide grin on his face as he rose and walked over to Loki, stooping down to pick him up, his hands seeming much larger than before.

"You're trying to kill me with cuteness again, Loki. A kitten? A _fluffy_ kitten? This is even better than the Pomeranian," Tony said, and cuddled Loki against the front of his shirt. "And don't you _dare_ bite me," he added as Loki closed his teeth around the meat of his thumb. Loki rolled his eyes upwards to gauge how seriously he meant that, then eased backwards, licking Tony's skin briefly in apology.

* * *

Past time for lunch, Tony decided, and lifted the kitten up to perch on his shoulder, grinning as Loki made a startled sound and then wincing as his claws dug in through Tony's shirt and into his skin for a moment before the kitten found its balance. A grey tabby kitten with white socks and bib, and the dark blue eyes most kittens had before their adult colour began to show. He scratched Loki's chin as he headed to the elevator and upstairs. "Jarvis, where is everyone?" he asked when he noticed how empty and quiet the penthouse was.

" _Captain Rogers, Ms Romanov and Mr Barton are all lunching with Agent Coulson in his apartment. Dr Banner is in his lab._ "

"Bruce eaten yet?"

" _He is eating a large salad already, yes._ "

"Looks like it's just you and me for lunch then, Loki. Jarvis, how are repairs downstairs going?"

" _Technically finished as of two hours ago. A Stark Industries representative is currently inspecting to ensure that the work has been completed to all requirements, and should be signing off on it shortly._ "

"Oh, excellent – let everyone know we'll be having an inaugural dinner and movie night tonight to take some of the shiny off the place. Call that caterer we had for the big party four months ago, see if they can send someone over to cook something nice for us, I know it's short notice, double their usual rate. Triple if they can be done cooking and out of our hair before the actual meal, we can serve ourselves."

" _Of course, Sir._ "

Tony assembled a couple of sandwiches for himself, and warmed another container of cat food for Loki, setting him down to eat it on top of the table within reach of where he himself was sitting. Watching the kitten eat was entertaining; despite all the time Loki had been spending as a cat already, it seemed as if a kitten had slightly different operating parameters, and Loki managed to make a mess of his face, front paws and the table around the saucer in the course of eating his food. He sat there and attempted grooming himself afterwards, with a lack of balance and coordination that had Tony biting his lip so as not to laugh out loud. Judging by the attempted death-glares Loki was giving him – as much as failure in kitten form as they'd been when Loki had been a Pomeranian – Tony was not being successful enough at hiding his amusement.

"You get much messier and I'm going to have to bathe you, you realize," he pointed out as he picked up his last half-sandwich. "I doubt you'd enjoy that very much."

Loki gave him another glare, then meowed at him, a high-pitched but somehow still imperious sound.

"Right now you're even better at making a mess than Dummy is."

Another meow, then Loki rose to his feet and padded around the edge of the table, finding a chair and then teetering on the edge as he gauged the distance of a jump down to it.

"That's a big jump for someone your size, are you sure you don't want me to lift you down?"

Loki swayed forward, and made a leap that was as much a barely-controlled slip off the edge as anything else. He landed with a thump on the chair seat, and without even pausing moved to and off the edge of it, dropping down to the floor. He paused there, sitting down to lick at one paw, then scurried off. Tony hurriedly stuffed the last bit of his sandwich in his mouth, and followed to see what Loki was up to now. He found Loki stretched out in a sunny patch near the windows, reading something on his interface display.

Tony smiled, then returned to the kitchen to clean up from lunch. "What's he studying now, Jarvis?"

" _Medical textbooks, Sir._ "

"Interesting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, just about to tip over 600 kudos - thank you all! Glad you're all enjoying this, and many thanks for all the reviews!


	37. The Lack of Barriers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lengthy delay since the previous update; had a whole bunch of RealLife(tm) going on, including killing several days switching my eBook library from Adobe Digital Editions to Calibre (including making covers for all my AO3 downloads, ooo aah) and then another few days downgrading my laptop from Windows 8.1 to Windows 7 after the free upgrade from 8 to 8.1 pretty much turned it into an expensive bread-warmer (running hot, slow, and barely useful). Finding drivers for everything was an exciting (and ofttimes frustrating) adventure. I'm also currently working on a couple of gift exchange stories I'm committed to in my other fandom, so updates will remain slow a little while longer (though hopefully not _this_ slow!).

Tony was in a good mood as he jogged down the stairs to the common level, his hands shoved into the pockets of the worn blue hoodie that he'd unearthed from the back of his closet, the slight weight of Loki curled up in the hood a comforting presence. He was still feeling a little weird about the day just past – the conversation, the revelation of what Loki's plans had entailed, that very weird little interlude on the couch and especially that brief little kiss they'd exchanged – but still, overall? Good mood. Things were progressing, information was being obtained, the common level was back in commission and he'd have his privacy back upstairs, and, okay, yes, once again; that kiss. It seemed his interest wasn't entirely one-sided. Or Loki was playing him, but he really preferred the former explanation and would be bitterly, bitterly disappointed if it turned out to be the latter.

He slapped his hand to the biometric scanner to unlock the stairwell door, and breezed into the main room of the common level. It was huge, as he'd made the decision to go open concept during the renovations; instead of a separate common room, TV room, and kitchen it was now a seamless whole. He'd left the formal dining room separate, though the wall between it and the main room was designed open up and join the two spaces if the occasional demanded it.

The other Avengers were scattered around the room already. Clint and Bruce were sprawled on the built-in couch in the recessed pit over at the entertainment centre end of the room, arguing over what movie to bring up on the huge flatscreen TV that covered most of the wall. Natasha was wandering around with a filled plate in one hand, a glass of wine in the other, while Steve was filling a plate of his own at the substantial buffet the caterers had left out on the breakfast bar. Phil was there too, sitting in his wheelchair at the floor-to-ceiling windows, a plate of food in his lap and a drink in his hand.

Tony grinned. "Glad to see you're all making yourself at home already," he called out as he made his way over to the buffet as well, pleased to see that it was all things that didn't require cutlery to eat, just fingers. "So, what do you think?"

"It's very nice," Steve said, looking up with a smile from building a small pyramid of slider burgers on his plate.

"TV's not big enough," Clint called out.

"Liar. Also, if you want a bigger one, you get to find and pay the company that can actually manufacture them any bigger than that. Custom job as it was, and you _don't_ want to know what it cost to get it airlifted here and installed; that's not exactly something you can fit in a freight elevator."

"Show off," Clint grumbled.

"And you _like_ it. Clint, I know you love me spending my hard-earned money on you," Tony called back, grinning as he loaded down his own plate with food.

"I like it," Natasha said, moving to sit down on one of the numerous seats scattered around the area, not too far from Phil, who'd now turned his chair to face into the room. "Though the old TV room had the benefit of being... comfortably enclosed."

"I was thinking of putting up a decorative divider; open bookcases to display things on sort of thing, maybe," Tony said. "And Jarvis has fire and gunfire proof panels he can close to seal off the space, if needed. This whole area can be subdivided, if wanted, I just liked the idea of it usually being one big barrier-free space."

Phil smiled slightly. "I do appreciate the lack of barriers," he said.

"I like the space too," Bruce said as he and Clint rose and headed towards the kitchen to get themselves some food as well. "Very... open."

"That's why they call it an open space concept," Tony said, turning to grin at him, amused by the little smile on Bruce's face, sign that the good doctor was purposefully pulling his leg. Or possibly someone else's leg, judging by the way Bruce's face quickly resumed its usual bland expression when Clint turned to look at him as well.

Tony headed over to the bar, pouring himself a tumbler of scotch before heading over to take a seat in the pit, Steve joining him there shortly afterwards. Phil chose to roll his chair over and down a ramp to join them in the pit, after which Natasha rose, topped up her wine, and then moved to the pit seating as well, arriving there just as Bruce and Clint returned with their own plates of food. Everyone was soon settled down comfortably, food and drinks at hand.

"So what are we watching?" Tony asked. "Or are you two still arguing over it?"

"Bruce wants Willow, I vote for Ladyhawke," Clint explained.

"I'm pretty sure we have time for both," Phil pointed out.

"Both is good," Natasha agreed.

"I haven't seen either yet," Steve said.

"Then both it is," Tony said. "Jarvis, flip a coin and play one of them."

An overly synthesized 80s soundtrack started playing, as Ladyhawke began. Everyone was soon relaxed, either watching closely (Steve and Phil) or passing comments about the music, plot, effects, and costuming (everyone else).

Tony could feel Loki squirming around a little in the hood, until he had his head resting on Tony's left shoulder, fur and whiskers tickling at the side of Tony's neck as he also watched the movie. Tony slipped him a few bits and pieces of food from his own plate, smiling slightly as Loki licked his fingertips clean.

Clint was on his way back from getting a second helping of food when he caught sight of Loki. "Hey, Tony! You have a parasite clinging to your back," he called out. Everyone looked around to see what he was talking about, except Coulson, who'd already noticed Tony's furry passenger and merely smiled thinly.

"A kitten?" Natasha said, looking amused.

"Cute," Steve said.

"And fluffy," Tony said, setting his empty plate on the coffee table before reaching up to lift Loki out of the hood and move him to his lap instead. Loki stretched, back arching high and tail stiffening, then dropped flat on Tony's thigh, tucking his legs in underneath himself and wrapping his little tail around his hindquarters, eyes focusing on the movie again.

Steve moved closer after a couple of minutes, then hesitantly reached out one hand. "Can I?" he asked. Loki turned to look at him, then refocused on his hand and slowly blinked. He shifted position a little, like he was wiggling into a slightly more comfortable position, then meowed, just once. Steve smiled crookedly and scratched carefully at Loki's head and back, the kitten making a purr that was surprisingly loud coming from such a tiny body. Tony could feel the way it made Loki's whole body shiver.

"I don't trust him. He's too cute," Clint said.

"I already warned him not to ever use cuteness for evil, back when he was a Pomeranian," Tony said. Loki twisted his head around to look back over his shoulder at Tony, then stretched one foreleg out flat, and flexed his claws out just enough to be felt through Tony's jeans. "Hey! No perforating my limbs, either."

"You gather enough holes in yourself all on your own," Bruce said, smiling slightly before taking a bite of a miniature quiche.

"What is this, pick on Tony day?"

"It's _always_ pick on Tony day," Clint said. "Except alternate Thursdays, which is pick on Steve day."

Steve grinned. "In that case, I think we need a pick on Clint day."

"That's any day ending in Y," Natasha said in a bored tone of voice.

"Do we have a pick on Bruce day?" Tony asked, grinning.

"It's _never_ pick on Bruce day," Phil and Steve said almost in stereo.

"Unless you're Tony, and then it's also any day ending in Y," Bruce said, completely deadpan, drawing smiles from everyone and a broad grin from Tony.

"Why don't we have a pick on Natasha day?" Clint asked.

"Because only you can do that and reliably survive the experience," Phil pointed out.

Natasha glanced at Clint. "Only because I make allowances for his mental deficiencies, immaturity and obvious lack of impulse control."

"Hey!" Clint exclaimed. "That was _mean_."

"That's not mean, that's just Natasha-speak for you being a child at heart, Barton," Phil said patiently.

"Oh. Really? I can live with that."

Tony grinned, feeling how much he loved these people, thinking how glad he was that they'd agreed to move in to the tower with him. Life was just so much _better_ with them around than it had been before the Avengers had happened to him. Happened to them, too; to all of them. He was sometimes surprised over how well it worked for them, actually, almost all of them lonely loners who somehow just _fit_ together in the right ways. They usually managed to spend at least a little time each day all gathered together – most typically at breakfast, or like this, now, with movies and optional food – and yet still managed to give each other enough space to not drive each other insane. Somehow they'd all become friends, even Thor with his frequent absences and, okay, yes, even Phil too, for all he mostly hid away down in his own quarters and only occasionally joined them all here.

The movie hit another exciting bit and everyone's attention returned to it, their conversation ending until the ending credits rolled, at which point most of them rose to their feet, to either go to the washroom or get themselves more to eat or drink. Tony remained where he was, head tilted back and eyes shut, petting Loki with one hand while listening to the sounds of everyone moving around and talking.

"Tired?" Steve asked as he resumed his seat beside Tony.

"Nah," Tony said, opening his eyes and rolling his head to the side to look at Steve. "Just relaxing and enjoying the company."

Steve smiled back. "Good," he said. "You know, you spoil us too much."

"Feh. I have few enough things to throw my money at. Since this is a space meant to be regularly shared by half of the people I like most on this planet, I want it to be special."

"Only half?" Clint asked as he sat down on the other side of Steve, stealing Natasha's seat. "Who are we missing.?"

Natasha kicked Clint's foot and then turn and wedged herself down into the narrow gap between him and Steve. "Pepper, Happy, Rhodey," she listed off calmly, even as she twisted to the side, elbow jabbing out . Clint went sprawling sideways, somehow managing not to slop his drink all over everything. Steve smiled and draped his arm along the seat back behind Natasha as she curled up on the seat, leaning against him, while Clint moved to perch on the seat back beside her, looking both disgruntled and amused.

Tony grinned. "Don't forget Darcy and Jane. I count them too, especially since Darcy and I have agreed to be honorary sisters. Which reminds me, Jarvis, contact Darcy and see if she's free to have a girls' day out some afternoon this week, I feel like spoiling my little sister. Book us in to that spa Pepper likes, the one with the awesome pedicures. And start Willow playing."

" _Yes, sir._ "

* * *

For a race that had almost no true magic users or shape-shifters among it, the humans seemed to have an extensive mythology of them, Loki found himself thinking as he watched Willow transform Raziel into a rook. He wondered if this mythology, as much as having the Hulk as one of their teammates, explained at least in part how accepting the Avengers had been of his own changes from form to form. Magic, as familiar to them as their fairy tales and legends and movies, despite it being an almost unknown power among the inhabitants of this world. Something equally parts familiar and foreign.

He glanced away from the movie briefly, studying the humans. They seemed to have almost forgotten his presence among them, all caught up in watching the movie. Clint glanced his way occasionally, and he was reasonably certain that both Phil and Natasha were always aware of him, despite their seeming concentration on the movie. Even their awareness seemed of a very low-key sort; not as if they were expecting him to be any real or immediate danger to them, but simply that he was on a list of things they unconsciously kept constant track of.

Tony shifted, then sighed and picked up Loki, setting him down in Steve's lap. "Bathroom run," he said, and hurried off.

Loki looked up at Steve's face, reassured by the easy smile the man gave him, the way his hand cupped over and stroked down Loki's back. He was one of the most accepting of Loki among the other Avengers, in a way that was almost friendly, not like the relative unconcern of Bruce, who was simply certain that his other self could handle it if Loki did try anything. Loki turned around a couple of times in Steve's lap, then lay down and rolled over on his back, four paws in the air.

Steve grinned, and began carefully scratching at the soft fur of his stomach, drawing a particularly deep purr from Loki. Loki squirmed a little, until Steve's fingers were rubbing in just the right spots, going bonelessly limp under the attention, his eyes drifting half-closed in pleasure.

He founds his thoughts straying from the movie and the gentle rubbing, and back to earlier in the day, he and Tony alone on the couch in Tony's quarters. If his cheeks could have heated, they would have, remembering a moment when he'd come dangerously close to honesty with the other man; he'd said more than he'd meant to, and not as much as he'd wanted to. Thankfully nothing that could not be passed off as an excess of lust, rather than emotion. He would have to be more careful in future.

His eyes drifted the rest of the way shut.

* * *

Tony was just outside the doorway to the main room on his way back from the washroom when he heard a startled yelp from the main room, followed by an outburst of voices. He ran, coming to an abrupt stop once he was far enough into the room to have a clear view of the pit area, where a sleeping and naked Loki was sprawled out on his back across Steve and Natasha's laps. Clint was on his feet and several feet away from where he'd been sitting, his face pale. Bruce had that set, neutral expression that meant that he was calming himself down after something had almost caused him to Hulk out. Phil had his chair turned to face the couch, one hand out of sight down beside him; Tony assumed he had a weapon of some kind hidden there.

He pressed one hand to his chest for a moment, willing himself back to calm as well, and walked forward. "Taking another cat-nap, is he?" he asked lightly, immediately the focus of five rather concentrated stares. "Judging by past performance, he'll be out for at least a couple of hours. Steve, would you mind carrying Loki back upstairs for me? I can't manage someone that size without the suit."

Steve stared at him for a moment, then his shoulders dropped just slightly, relaxing. "Sure," he said, and rose to his feet, lifting Loki in both arms as he did so, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. Natasha rose and backed off as soon as Loki was out of her own lap, moving to stand near Clint, neither of them looking very happy. Tony hurried forward and lifted the top of an end table which doubled as a storage chest, pulling out an afghan and quickly draping it over Loki to spare the others the sight of the naked god.

"Yeah, let's just... this way," Tony said nervously, and led the way back over to the elevators.

Steve followed behind with Loki, remaining silent until they'd reached Tony's suite. "Where should I put him?"

"Um. My bed," Tony said, aware that he was blushing a little himself, a blush that deepened as Steve paused and gave him a questioning look. Tony shrugged. "Since he first joined me here as a dog he's like curling up on the bed. Which means he tends to fall asleep there more often than not. I know, it's... weird. I've just kind of gotten used to it, okay?"

Steve snorted out a little air through his nose. "Not here to judge," he said, voice as carefully neutral as his expression, and carried Loki upstairs, where he set him down on the bed, backing hastily away as soon as he'd done so. Loki made a sleepy sound, rolling over on one side and curling up like the cat he currently wasn't.

"Thanks," Tony said, then frowned down at Loki for a moment. "I take it Clint didn't react well to Loki's sudden appearance as himself?"

"No. It's one thing being used to him as... as something that at least doesn't look like him. Actually having him right there, unexpectedly; no, Clint wasn't happy about it. I don't think any of us were, even having seen him this way before," Steve admitted, frowning slightly.

"Think I should go down and talk to him?"

Steve chewed on his lip for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I think you're probably best off leaving it to Phil and Natasha."

"You don't think Phil will have been just as badly upset? Wait, what am I saying, this is Agent we're talking about."

"Phil was completely in control of his faculties during his own run-in with Loki; I doubt he's as upset as Clint," Steve pointed out. "Anyway, I think that likely ended movie night; you might as well stay here."

"All right. Let me know if I'm needed after all."

"Right," Steve agreed, glanced again at the still-sleeping Loki, and left.

Tony considered Loki for a minute or two himself, then changed into his pyjamas, fetched a tablet, and sat down on the bed propped up against the headboard, working his way through some of the endless emails that Pepper had sent him, eventually losing himself in some of the more interestingly technical attachments.


	38. One Peck For No

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still busy with RealLife but hopefully be able to pick the pace of updates up again soon, assuming holiday stress doesn't short out my writing brain.

"Sorry," Loki said softly, breaking in on Tony's thoughts.

Tony looked up and smiled thinly at him, while Loki examined the texture of the knitted blanket that was thrown over him, puzzling over the patterned stitches of it. Tony spoke. "For what? Falling asleep? I've seen the movie before. Many, many times. If you want to catch the end we can re-watch it some time."

Loki blinked at him, then smiled thinly. "Perhaps," he agreed, and stretched, rolling over on his back, ending with his arms folded under his head. He tilted his head back to give Tony an upside-down look. "I promised earlier I would talk further with you about the chitauri."

"So you did," Tony agreed, setting aside the tablet he'd been using. "As I recall, I wanted to know if there was any way to make you harder for them to find."

Loki nodded slightly. "In truth the best ways are already being done. With my magic so greatly suppressed and most of my time being spent in forms other than my own, it would be very difficult for the chitauri to locate me, assuming they are even able to gain access to Midgard to search properly in the first place. Their method of searching should be detectable even to human technology; they use a flying seeker that is partially biologically based, like the beasts they use for transport, though much smaller."

"What we'd call cyborgs? Partially organic, partially mechanical or electronic?"

"Yes. Things bred for their role, not something that naturally evolved. To human eyes their seekers would resemble an insect of some kind, I suppose; a flying mechanical carapace melded with an organic creature that is mostly eye, brain and mouth. They communicate with each other and pass messages to and from a central queen using high pitched sounds that carry great distances. They can be given a... a _pattern_ to look for. The chitauri possess such a pattern of me from when I was their prisoner, though it should be a very poor match to me at present, even when I am awake and in my usual form."

"Mostly mouth... dangerous?"

"Only to air-borne particulate matter and insects. They sieve pollen, dust, and small insects out of the air as they fly. It is their seeking and messaging characteristics that make them dangerous; once they have located a target, they send messages back to the queen to alert their home base, and all of them converged in numbers on the target to make its location obvious. The chitauri that follow behind them then become the danger."

"Okay, so, any metal in the carapace? Or is it also biologically based?"

"Some metal, yes, though I suspect their sounds would be easier to watch for; as small and wide-spread as they would be while seeking, it would be very difficult to detect the small amount of metal in their structure. Keeping them away from whatever location I am would make it much more difficult for them to..." Loki broke off as he felt a change sweep over him, struggling to turn the right way over. Not a cat again, he was sure, as his field of vision blurred and changed.

Tony was grinning at him. "Which is that, Jarvis? A crow? Raven?"

" _A rook, Sir, judging by the white skin around the base of his bill. Still a member of_ corvidae, _however._ "

Loki turned his head to the side to look at Tony out of one eye, then sidled out from under the fold of blanket draped across his back. He mantled and shook once to properly settle his feathers, then launched himself into the air, flying the few feet needed to land with a thump in front of Tony's mirror. He examined himself out of first one eye and then the other. A suitable form, he decided; perhaps not as imposing as Odin's two large ravens, but an elegant and sombre bird, black with a purple-blue sheen to his feathers and with a fine slender form. He groomed one wing for a moment, then launched himself again, circling the room briefly before deciding that there was no truly suitable place to perch. He settled for landing on the bedside table, preferring the hard wood underfoot to the potentially claw-tangling bedding. He looked at Tony again, and opened his beak to make a loud cawing sound.

Tony grinned. "Taking after Raziel now? Does that mean you'll be turning into a goat next?" As he talked he rolled over to sit on the edge of the bed near Loki, leaning forward to look over him. "Can I touch?" he asked, one hand held partway out toward Loki.

Loki studied him for a moment, then dipped his head slightly. This creature's instincts did not run toward enjoying handling, quite the opposite if anything, but he knew he had nothing to fear from Tony. Tony curled his hand into a soft fist, then gently touched the backs of his fingers to Loki's chest, before running the hand slowly downwards along the nap of the feathers. It felt... all right. Even pleasant, Loki decided, as Tony did it a couple more times. On the next stroke Tony let his hand slip even lower down, and as his fingers slid down from chest to belly Loki found his body responding to the touch automatically, stepping up to perch on the side of Tony's hand, toes clamping tight around soft flesh.

"Ow," Tony said softly, the soft exclamation making Loki freeze. "Careful with the pressure there. I probably should have put on a glove or something before doing that. You're about three or four times larger than the only bird I ever did that with before; there was a girl I dated for an entire month who had a budgie. Mouthy little creature, and swore like a sailor. So did the bird. Also, he bit. I still have the scar. She bit too, but didn't leave scars."

Loki lowered his head, giving Tony a peck on the base of his thumb.

"Right. Enough about ex-girlfriends and their malicious menageries. Or should that be aviaries? Anyway, Jarvis, what are Loki's current feeding requirements? Also, any other supplies we should purchase?"

" _The cat food would still be a suitable meal for him, though I'd recommend supplementing it with earthworms or feeder insects. I can place an order for a delivery of crickets for tomorrow morning. I would also suggest purchase of a suitably sized perch, though one of the kitchen stools would doubtless serve well in the short-term, as they have a bow back that should be of a reasonable size for his feet to grasp._ "

"Sounds good to me. Order in the perch and crickets. Loki, are you hungry now?"

Loki considered the question briefly. He had been fed a few scraps of food from Tony's plate while they watched the first movie, but... he could eat. He dipped his head, in as close to a nod as this form was capable of.

"Guessing that's a peck for no and a nod for yes, so yes to food?"

He nodded his head again.

"Okay. I suppose I could stand a midnight snack myself. Jarvis, did any of the leftovers from the buffet make it into my fridge?" Tony asked hopefully.

" _Yes, Sir – Captain Rogers delivered a container full of a selection of leftovers. Bottom shelf of the fridge._ "

"Excellent, let's go eat," Tony said, and rose carefully to his feet, clearly making an effort not to joggle Loki.

Loki had to tighten his feet a little more, but managed to keep his balance without actually injuring Tony. The walk to the door and along the hallway went smoothly enough, but stairs proved to be a problem, the downward jolting motion sending an uncomfortably unbalanced feeling through him. He started to tighten his feet further, wings lifting a little away from his body for better balance, then Tony yelped in pain as his claws began to pierce flesh. That was enough; he launched, diving down the remaining stairs and gliding out into the living room. A couple of flaps for more height and speed, and he made it to the kitchen, landing on the back of a stool which, as Jarvis had suggested, proved to be of a suitable configuration for perching.

Tony entered the room a moment later, sucking at the slight puncture wounds along the edge of his hand. "Once again, _ow_. Jarvis, remind me not to do anything like that again unless I have a good strong glove on first." He dug a small first aid kit out of one of the kitchen cabinets, and quickly disinfected the tiny wounds and painted them with some liquid bandage. After putting the kit away he dug out food for both of them, defrosting some cat food for Loki while he arranged a selection of leftovers on a plate for himself.

The mix of chopped organ meats and cooked grain tasted very different in bird form than it had as a cat; still an acceptable food, but his enjoyment of it was changed, the balance of flavours different to an avian tongue. He amused himself by picking out all the tastier bits first, until all that was left was a slurry of grain and meat fragments, his stomach comfortably full. Tony was almost finished his own plate of food, nibbling on some sort of filled flatbread as he watched Loki.

"Every time I see you change, I wish I could ask you about a million questions about your magic. Like how you handle the mass change from a 6-foot-something humanoid to a tiny cuddly kitten and back again without losing vital bits and pieces. How you still appear to have your previous intelligence and memories when using a tiny unrelated brain. Like right now, your brain is, what, maybe the size of a large walnut and highly specialized to be an instinct-driven bird? And yet judging by performance to date there's both you in there and the bird-instincts. I want to believe that your magic _is_ just a sufficiently advanced science, but really, stuff like this kind of freaks me out a little bit. All the unknowns. You done eating?"

Loki nodded his head, and watched as Tony scooped up the little container of food, dumping out the contents and rinsing it before sticking it in the dishwasher, along with his own now-empty plate.

"I am too awake right now to sleep. I think some lab time sounds like a good idea. Coming with?"

Loki nodded, and mantled his wings.

"Yeah, you fly along I guess, not going to make the mistake of trying to carry you again until I have something on to protect myself from those claws of yours. Jarvis, start a pot of coffee going down in the lab, would you?"

" _Of course, Sir._ "

"And it better not be decaf," Tony added as he strode off in the direction of the elevators. Loki waited until he was halfway there before launching himself, easily passing him and coming to land on the floor near the door.

" _Yes, Sir_ ," Jarvis said in a disapproving tone of voice.

* * *

Tony finished setting up Jarvis and his wide-spread sensors – by this point spread through much of New York and the surrounding areas, not to mention smaller networks around each of Jarvis' other nodes – to keep an eye out, or rather an ear out, for the sort of high-pitched sound that Loki had described the chitauri seeking bugs as using. He looked up and smiled as Dummy wheeled past the other side of the work bench, his head lifted and Loki perched on one of the robot's grasping claws, wings partially spread to maintain his balance. They appeared to be playing some sort of game with You and Butterfingers, involving Dummy keeping away from the two smaller bots while stopping at seemingly random intervals for Loki to snatch up things from workbenches – just nuts and bolts and small tools sorts of things, or Tony would have intervened – and dropping them on the floor for the other bots to clean up and put away. There was a lot of beeping and booping sounds and electronic whistles going on, so clearly all three robots were enjoying it immensely. Tony made note to ask Jarvis to explain the rules for it to him later.

The sensor network properly adjusted, Tony turned to the next item on his list, sending off specifications to the new particle accelerator facility to have the sensor elements he wanted fabricated. Then he turned to work on a separate but related idea he'd had, which would likely occupy the accelerator for a considerable period of time; the manufacture of a vibranium mesh lining for one of his suits, which he hoped would render it effectively magic-proof. Useful to have, with the growing number of magic-users that were popping up among the villains they and other superhero groups encountered regularly. And even if it didn't prove to be effective against magic, that much vibranium should do good things in terms of absorbing other types of energy anyway, like electrical energy and even radiation. The specifications for that took several hours to plan out and fire off, by which time he was getting that sandy-eyed feeling that told him it was probably daylight out again.

Loki and the robots had ended their game some time ago, and Loki was now perched on the arm of a nearby desk lamp, grooming his wing feathers. Tony leaned back and just watched for a while, fascinated by the easy way Loki adapted to each different form, each different set of instincts. He'd begun to think that if he could wish for any single magic ability, it might be this one, this shape-shifting that Loki did. Though he'd prefer it with better control, of course. Of course, part of that might just be because of all the – thankfully limited – range of magic he'd been exposed to to date, this was the one he'd seen the most of.

Also, it was kind of cool.

Okay, a lot cool.

He checked on the progress of the new gear he was having fabricated for Natasha and Clint, and frowned when he discovered that production was currently on hold waiting for a shipment of carbon nanotube paper-slash-fabric to arrive. He sent a note to Pepper saying that he wanted her to either buy him the right to produce buckypaper himself – not that not having a license for it didn't mean he couldn't or wouldn't, just that it was usually less hassle in the long run to be paying the right fees to the right people – or buy out whomever currently held the manufacturing rights.

That taken care of, he poked around with plans for a new chassis for Dummy for a while. A faint hum of working motors alerted him to the presence of Dummy behind him, the robot's arm crooked to one side so his head could peer at the holographic blueprint being displayed before him.

"I was thinking it's about time you had a new body, Dummy... we're kind of pushing the envelope with keeping your current body in operating condition. Too many years – decades! – of use, too many parts that need repair or replacement, accumulated metal fatigue... I was thinking something with newer technology and more robust alloys would be nice. Maybe the same material as what I used for the suit, something nice and tough, good for at least a few decades of heavy use. Would you like that?"

Dummy's head swivelled to look at him, then turned back to the display, rotating a little to one side and then moving back and forth as he looked at the wire-frame model.

"Could really ritz it up if you wanted," Tony added softly. "More than one arm? Maybe even binocular vision?"

Dummy's head waggled from side to side, claws clamping shut.

"No? I suppose it would be a big change. But more memory, faster processors, better materials, you fine with all of that?"

Dummy's head stilled, his claws slowly opening again. Tony glanced at Loki, who'd stopped his grooming and was watching Dummy with apparent curiously.

"Could do a nice paint job," Tony wheedled, reaching up to cup his hand around the side of Dummy's head. "In fact, I could even let you design the paint job, with Jarvis' help. Maybe you could run up a few different ideas, and then we'll decide which one is best? Would you like that?"

Dummy made a humming noise, then moved his head to rest on Tony's shoulder, still looking at the floating model. Tony grinned, glad that Dummy seemed at least receptive to the idea of a new body.

"We can modify the look a certain degree too, if you want. Either match your current appearance as closely as possible, or make you more heavy-weight, more stream-lined, whatever you want. Like this," he said, and pushed the original model to one side, cloning off copies of it and rapidly altering each, giving them updated appearances, some more modern and sleek, some more retro or boxy, even a stab at an art deco inspired casing, quickly losing himself in the work again, comforted by the contact with Dummy.

* * *

Steve walked into the lab, feeling a little nervous since it had been a while since he'd last come down to hang out for a while with Tony, and came to a dead stop. Tony was seated at a workbench, surrounded by a glowing cluster of displays, each of them displaying what was clearly a variation on a theme; models shaped vaguely like Dummy, with a wheeled, weighted base, a robot arm, and a 'head' that combined a grasping claw with a camera-like lens. Each was different in some way, the shapes varying from very utilitarian to what he could only think of as sleekly futuristic. Dummy was rolled up behind Tony's chair, his head resting on Tony's right shoulder, while a black bird occupied the left shoulder, both watching Tony at work with what appeared to be equal interest. The bird – obviously Loki – turned its head briefly to glance his way, then resumed watching Tony. Neither Dummy nor Tony seemed to be aware of his entrance.

His fingers itched to draw the scene before him, and he silently eased over to the couch in the corner, smiling his thanks when Butterfinger and You promptly rolled over and presented him with the sketch pad and pencil box he kept down here. He held one finger to his lips – the two knew what that meant – then settled back and began sketching, fast small-scale pose studies at first, then moving to a fresh sheet of paper and trying to capture the magic of the scene before him. Because it _was_ a kind of magic, the way Tony worked; a technological wizard, casting spells of light while his familiar and his... well, his son or apprentice, looked on. He grinned, listening to the murmured conversation Tony was having with Dummy, Tony supplying all the talking and Dummy making occasional small movements or electronic sounds in response.

"...okay I know you said no binocular vision, but how about multiple single lens? One problem with your current configuration is that your claws and anything you're carrying in them blocks your view. There could be an auxiliary lens elsewhere, say in a projection on the side of your head, that you can switch to when the main lens is occluded. You'll be able to see better, have less accidents. And maybe a lens that you can look through when you want to back up, so you can see what's behind you. So you'd still only use one visual input at a time, but you would have a choice of viewpoints. What about that? Is that a maybe? I'm going to assume that's a maybe, because multiple lens would make you so much less clumsy. So. Much. _Less._ And that's a good thing."

A brief silence fell, then Tony yelped. "Ow! What's with the pecking? Why are you... I said I was going to feed you soon, that was only... oh. Two hours ago? Okay, fine, I suppose we can take a break," Tony said, and flapped his hands at the displays crowded around him, sending them scattering further away before he rose to his feet and turned, the bird on his shoulder lurching a little as it caught its balance. His shoulder looked oddly lumpy; it took Steve a moment to realize he had a folded up cloth stuffed in under his shirt to pad it so that Loki's feet could hold on without his claws digging into Tony's skin.

"Steve!" Tony exclaimed, face lighting up with a happy smile. "I didn't hear you come in. How long have you been here? Have you had lunch yet? Oh, did you see, Loki's a bird now. A rook. How are you?"

"Hi Tony, Loki. About three-quarters of an how, yes but I could eat more, yes I noticed that, and good. How long have you been down here?"

"Since last night. Couldn't sleep, decided I might as well work. Got lots of things done. I'm making new armour for Clint and Natasha. Would you like new armour too? Maybe something less red-white-and-blue? Not that there's anything _wrong_ with basically wearing a skin-tight flag, but maybe something a little less gaudy would be good. A nice dark blue outfit maybe?"

Steve smiled, recognizing the signs of a Tony who'd had too much caffeine and sugar and not nearly enough sleep. Probably not nearly enough food either. He set aside his sketchpad and pencil box, trusting the bots to see that they were put away someplace safe, and stood up. "Why don't we go upstairs and discuss it over lunch? I'll make us some sandwiches," he offered.

"That sounds like a good idea. Can I have ham and swiss? With plenty of mustard?" Tony asked wistfully.

"Sure," Steve said, and guided Tony out of the lab.

The common room kitchen was well-stocked; Steve soon had a plateful of sandwiches made for the two of them to share, including the requested ham and swiss. He snuck some sprouts and romaine into it, knowing Tony had a tendency to skimp on things like vegetables when he was in one of his manic phases as he currently appeared to be. Tony made a face at the addition of the greens, but ate the sandwich without any verbal complaint, finishing while Steve was still eating. Tony selected another sandwich – roast beef on an onion bun – and ate half of it, picking apart the other half to feed bits of meat to Loki, who pecked them carefully out of his fingers.

Steve watched the two of them, and found himself thinking about how effortlessly Tony communicated with his bots, despite them being essentially non-verbal. He wondered if that was why Tony was so adept at talking with Loki as well; extensive practise with reading non-human body language and guessing the meanings of non-human sounds. The thought made him smile, at least briefly.

An alarm began sounding, making all three of them jump; not the one for imminent battle, but the tone to suit up and assemble for a pre-battle briefing. "Coffee!" Tony blurted as he scrambled to his feet.

" _On it_ ," Jarvis replied, the coffee maker in the corner of the kitchen already making sounds as he started making espresso. " _Suit assembler ready to assist with donning your heavy suit, Sir._ " Tony nodded and hurried off to the exterior walkway.

" _Your suit and shield are being delivered to the quinjet hanger, Captain Rogers,_ " Jarvis added.

"Thanks. Any idea what's the reason for the alarm?" Steve asked as he hurriedly put the remaining sandwiches into the fridge.

" _Judging by what I'm overhearing on SHIELD channels, agents may have located a Doombot assembly facility somewhere northeast of the city, and triggered a defensive reaction. Battle is so far localized to the area of the plant._ "

Tony arrived back in his suit in time to hear that; he paused, frowning in concern. "How close? Any danger of them reaching here again?" he asked, before snagging a triple espresso out of his coffee machine and drinking the lot.

" _Somewhere in New Hampshire, Sir._ "

"Okay, that's good, hopefully we can keep them well away. Loki, would you prefer to remain up here, or go wait things out with Phil?"

Loki hunched down where he was, perched on the back of one of the stools. Even Steve could read that body language; he wanted to stay.

"All right, but if anything comes anywhere close to the building, you're to go down to Phil's quarters. Jarvis, keep an eye on things. Come on, let's go," he said, and hurried off toward the elevators, Steve following after him.


	39. The Pragmatic Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to try and get back to regular updating, now that the worst of the holiday stress is well behind me. Just have to get back into the swing of daily writing, and fight off the temptation to dive into reading each day until _after_ I've knocked out a few thousand words first.

Loki found himself feeling bored in fairly short order. He considered making the trip down to stay with Coulson after all, but decided he was not in the mood for company just yet. Instead he moved from his perch on the back of the stool to squat on the counter, and summoned up his interface. He pecked rapidly at the array of keys, trying to look up information about the Avenger's current enemy. The longest item he could find was a brief Wikipedia entry identifying him as Doctor Victor von Doom, monarch-slash-dictator of Latveria, a tiny eastern European country. There was more about Latveria itself than about Doctor Doom, and even that was only a pair of terse paragraphs in length, mentioning the country's rich natural resources, rugged natural beauty, and its largely closed to foreigners status, along with a very basic sketch map of the country. He kept looking, hoping to find out more about the man.

" _Publicly available information about Doctor Doom is limited and heavily censored. If you'd like I can request permission from Agent Coulson to show you some of SHIELD's information about him,_ " Jarvis volunteered after a while.

Loki barely hesitated before pecking at the 'yes' of the yes/no dialogue window Jarvis had helpfully popped open for him. There was a brief wait, presumably while Jarvis consulted with Coulson, and then a new window opened, displaying a lengthy report. Doctor Doom was apparently a technological genius; following an accident that had reportedly left him disfigured he'd built himself a mechanical suit, rather like Stark had done, though unlike the billionaire he was never seen without it. Compared to Stark's relatively light-weight suits, Doom's were built more with self-protection in mind than manoeuvrability and offensive capabilities. They could survive extended periods of time in hostile environments that most of Stark's suits would fail within; not just extremes of temperature, but also hostile climates like deep water or outer space.

The accident that had disfigured him had also reportedly led Doom to consider someone named Reed Richards to be an enemy of his; any further information about Reed Richards was not included in the report, though a quick check online showed that he was the leader of a small group of superheroes known as the Fantastic Four, who also operated in the New York area.

Doctor Doom was also rumoured to have unusual powers. That piqued Loki's interest, and he spent considerable time slowly reading over the parts of the report that dealt with Doom's supposed sorcerous abilities. Judging by reports of what things Victor had been seen doing, some of them even written by what SHIELD considered to be reliable witnesses, Loki was willing to believe that the man did, indeed, possess some form of what Midgardians would call magic.

Curious. And perhaps made it all the stranger that the Doctor was seemingly focused on stealing some of Stark's technology. Loki fluffed his feathers and squatted down, thinking, wondering just what Doom's motivations were; Stark's technology, Stark's AI, both, or some other reason.

It surprised him to realize that just a month ago he'd likely have thought of Doctor Doom as a potential ally. Now his main thought about him was to hope that Doom's previous attack had nothing at all to do with his own presence here. He was... safe, here. As safe as he could be, with his powers largely bound and only feeble humans available to guard him from the chitauri, if they came. His pride might have made him want to seek out the Doctor as an alternative to relying on his brother's _friends_ , but his pragmatism made him acknowledge that the Avengers had more to offer him than this Doctor Doom could manage. Doom might have some small magics, and an army of robots, but Loki did not believe for one moment that he was capable of offering the level of protection that Loki could expect from the Avengers as a team. Grudging protection for the most part, yes, but far more effective than any others on Midgard might give.

Liking Tony has nothing to do with it. Absolutely not.

* * *

Tony had only a moment to realize the old wooden floor wasn't up to supporting the weight of Iron Man before it gave way and he found himself falling through it, surrounded by wood dust and shattered chunks of worm-hole riddled wood. His reflexes weren't fast enough to react, but Jarvis' were, the repulsors firing in time so that he didn't slam at unbraked speed into the concrete floor of the workshop below, though his automatic flailing motion as he fell made for a less than graceful landing. That proved to be a good thing, as a stream of needles shot just over his head as he stumbled and dropped to one knee.

"Shit. Found more of 'em," he gasped out as he scrambled for cover, knowing the stream of flechettes could eat through his suit's armour as easily as a hungry mouse tackling a chunk of cheese. Witness his wounding in their prior fight with the damned things. Damned things... a single flechette wouldn't do much more than ding the paintwork, but the cumulative effect of a whole pile of them impacting within a small area was _nasty_.

Steve's voice was in his ear, asking where in the factory he was, accompanied by the sounds of someone – probably Natasha – in the middle of a fight somewhere, judging by the gasps and grunts and sounds of impacts. He didn't have time to answer, too busy trying to keep some of the heavier pieces of machinery between him and the advancing Doombots.

"Go help Widow, I've got Iron Man covered," Hawkeye said, just as the Doombots began exploding one by one, at just the interval of Clint's fastest firing speed.

Tony grinned, and popped up from behind the – some sort of metal lathe – to fire his repulsors at the Doombots and keep their attention on him. Being the flashy noisy target while Hawkeye quietly picked off targets was something he was used to, something he'd done so many time before that apart from needing to duck and dodge the needle blasts he almost didn't need to think about how to do it. With the number of Doombots dropping steadily, it was easy enough that he could even fire a few extra things back, including trying out a shot or three of his own version of the flechettes, with the mix of solid and exploding needles. The damage they did was... kind of awesome. The need for physical ammunition meant he could only fire for a limited amount of time in total, but while it lasted the needle gun did some pretty sweet damage; by the time he ran out of ammunition he and Hawkeye had put paid to the Doombots and seen to it that most of the shiny equipment filling the workshop was a lot less shiny, highly unlikely to be of any further use in the manufacture of Doombots.

"Widow and I have found the assembly room," Steve said, voice a little out of breath. "Could use some backup."

"Lots of heavy machinery; be a shame if Hulk was to come play with some of it," Natasha said, sounding mostly bored and just the tiniest bit amused if you knew what to listen for.

Bruce laughed. "On my way," he said agreeably.

"I'm heading back upstairs, I saw a computer just before I fell through the floor," Tony said, and fired his repulsors, soaring back up through the hole in the ceiling. He remained flying, skimming a few inches over the wooden floor rather than chancing setting down again, zipping down the hallway and into the office at the end of it where a reasonably new computer occupied a large desk that appeared to be of a 50s or 60s vintage, all edge-worn solid oak with a well-worn green leather chair of matching vintage behind it.

He powered up the PC, then flipped open a panel on his right forearm, taking out what looked like a slightly oversized USB key and plugging it into the computer. Within a couple of minutes Jarvis reported that he'd acquired access to the computer and was uploading the contents of the hard drive to one of his own secured servers. Granted SHIELD's cleanup crew would undoubtedly grab the entire computer later, assuming it didn't end up destroyed before they arrived, Tony was just as happy to grab what he could, while he could. Especially since he didn't particularly trust SHIELD to pass on everything they themselves might learn from any seized equipment. He ejected the USB device and moved on, looking for anything else of interest.

A shudder and distant roar signalled that the Hulk was fighting something somewhere, or possibly just having a lot of his own particularly destructive version of fun in the assembly room Cap had mentioned. Tony started looking for stairs down, wanting to go take a look at the room before it was completely trashed.

* * *

" _Sir and the rest of the Avengers are returning,_ " Jarvis reported in late afternoon, to Loki's relief. He'd been feeling increasingly uneasy about how long it had been since the group had left to go combat the Doombots. " _They should be back within the hour._ "

Of course, knowing they were coming made time seem to pass all the slower, his impatience growing and ability to concentrate lessening at roughly equal rates. He dismissed the interface after re-reading the same paragraph for the third time in a row, and flew over to the bar, squatting down with his feathers fluffed out in irritation at a spot where he could watch the elevator lobby and the exterior landing pad with equal ease. It seemed to take forever before there was a soft ping from the direction of the elevator lobby, and then Tony came into view, being supported by Steve – still in his Captain America uniform – as he walked forward.

Tony looked exhausted, he realized as the man stepped into the room and glanced over at him, with dark bags under his eyes, his skin made all the paler looking from its contrast with the dark grey undersuit he was wearing. "Missed me?" Tony asked, voice hoarse with sleeplessness.

Loki just stared at him for a long moment, crouching a little further down and fluffing out his feathers a little more, unsure of how to answer that. Of whether to answer that. It was Steve who broke the silence, hitching the slumping Tony a little more upright and getting him back into motion. "You need to sleep," he said firmly to Tony.

"Yeah, yeah," Tony agreed, and shuffled forward, head drooping forward, speech clearly slurring with exhaustion. "Sleep sounds good. Remind Bruce to..."

"Bruce is sleeping already," Steve said firmly.

"Well, 'kay then. Could you feed Loki?" Tony asked hopefully, as Steve helped him up the stairs towards his bedroom.

Steve glanced back over his shoulder in Loki's direction. "Sure, I'll feed him," he said.

Loki remained where he was until the pair was out of sight, then shook himself, sleeking his feathers back down before flying back to the kitchen, where he resumed perching on the back of one of the kitchen stools. He found himself feeling an odd mix of relieved that Tony was back, unhappy about his exhausted state, and disappointed that the man was clearly going to be unconscious and unavailable for company or conversation for some hours to come.

Steve soon returned, looking a little tired himself, and went about heating up some of the cat food and filling a small bowl with water for Loki, glancing at him repeatedly but saying nothing. He stood there for a couple of minutes afterwards, leaning back against the edge of the counter and watching Loki eat while nervously rubbing his hands together. "Tony tells me you've been telling him things about those aliens from last year," he finally said. "The chitauri," he added after a short pause, as if there might be some other aliens in question.

Loki stared at him a moment, then ducked his head.

" __Yes,_ " Jarvis translated, which made Steve jump and glance around in surprise. " _Sir has had me assisting Loki with speech_ ," Jarvis added rather primly in his own tone of voice, and without prompting popped open a keyboard near Loki.

Loki stopped eating for long enough to type in a message. " __You have questions?_ "

Steve smiled. "Yeah. A few of them. Would you be willing to come downstairs to talk for a while? I'd offer to stay here for it but I need to change and eat. Or I could come back up, after?"

Loki nodded his head again, deciding it was a reasonable request. Steve tugged one of his gloves free from where they were tucked into his belt and pulled it on, then offered his hand to Loki as a perch. Loki stepped carefully onto his curled fingers, slowly tightening his claws until he had a good grip. Steve picked up his half-finished dish of food, and carried them both off.


	40. An Interesting Discussion

Loki wasn't entirely sure what he expected Steve's apartment to look like; perhaps something in the same rather garish mix of colours as his uniform, but that wasn't what he saw when Steve carried him out of the elevator. The floors are smooth polished dark wood, the walls painted dark green. The furnishings are equally dark wood, upholstered in earth tones and autumnal colours. Simple shapes, mostly rectilinear in form, solidly built and thickly padded. The walls are covered in art; a painting over the couch that picks up on the same colours as the rest of the decor, a cluster of framed sketches, a scattering of black and white photographs.

Steve walked through a curve-topped archway into a small dining room, where he set the dish of food down and then turned a chair around in front of it, transferring Loki to perch on its back. "I'll be right back," he said, and hurried off, already peeling off his glove again before he was out of sight.

Loki ate slowly, hearing after a couple of minutes the sound of a shower running. He finished his food before the water stopped running, and sat quietly for a moment, then signalled for Jarvis to open an interface for him.

" _I am sorry, but Captain Rogers' quarters aren't wired for holograph displays. There is a countertop display in the kitchen, and a computer in the living room,_ " Jarvis said.

Loki thought for a moment, then decided on the kitchen, as Steve had mentioned a need to eat. The door from the dining room to it was obvious – a much smaller archway, also with a rounded top – and he abandoned the chair back to fly through it. He quickly spotting what had to be the display Jarvis had mentioned, a lighted screen inset in the counter at one end of the room, handy to the fridge. As he fluttered to a landing beside it, Jarvis changed the screen to display Loki's usual keyboard.

" _It is a touch screen and should respond to pecks. I would advise pecking lightly, so as to avoid cracking the screen_ ," Jarvis suggested.

Loki cautiously tapped at the keys. It wasn't as responsive as the display he was used to working with, requiring him to slow his typing speed, but it was at least a workable substitute for the holographic displays he'd become used to. He quickly pecked out a question, directed to Jarvis.

" _Yes, I can prepare a summary of what you and Sir have already spoken of_ ," Jarvis agreed. The screen filled with text. " _Please review the material and make any necessary additions or corrections._ "

By the time Steve came into the kitchen, the summary was completed and Loki was finishing off his dish of food.

" _Loki has prepared a summary of his previous discussions with Sir. Shall I read it for you?_ " Jarvis asked.

"Sure," Steve agreed, directing a brief approving glance at Loki before turning to take a can of soup out of the cupboard. He dug out a small saucepan and a cast iron frying pan, and had soup heating and a grilled cheese sandwich frying by the time Jarvis had finished reading back the information about the chitauri. Steve stood silently over the frying pan for a moment, tapping the handle of the spatula against his hand and thinking.

"All right," he finally said. "What I need to know is more about their capabilities. The fight last year wasn't very long, and I doubt we saw even close to everything in their bag of tricks. I need to know more about their technology; what sort of transport they have other than those sleds and the space whales, what other kinds of weapons they have, how and when they use them, anything you know about how they organize themselves when fighting. How they supply themselves. Things like that."

Loki glanced up at Steve, fluffing out his feathers for a moment before letting them flatten smoothly again. If a beak could have smiled, he would have; Steve's questions reminded him of the way the better warriors of Asgard prepared themselves for battle. Not the warriors who merely kept themselves in practice and waited to be released at a target, but the war leaders, who studied the enemy and determined what targets to unleash the rest upon. Ones like his... like Thor, and even Odin. As he himself had been trained to do, the necessary education of a prince, even one not particularly martially inclined.

He pecked at the screen for a while, describing what little he'd seen of their technology, their society. He had witnessed very little, really, allowed to see little more than the spaces between the room – more a cell – where he'd been kept, and the handful of places where he'd been interviewed by The Other. Spaces that did not answer to what humans or the Aesir would have called hallways or rooms, though serving similar purpose for the chitauri. Their structures were rarely enclosed, the chitauri not having the same requirements for shelter from the elements, the thin atmosphere of their home not having anything that might properly be called weather. Only sunlight and shadow, and the narrow zones of temperature change between the two. Such walls as there were had been raised at angles that caught the sun, providing suitable surfaces for the lichen- and moss-like crops that served as the main food source of the strange aliens and their livestock, the shadowed side of such built or natural outcrops being used as their homes, work spaces, larders and nurseries.

His own cell had been one of the rare spaces dug out within the rock, a prison secure enough to hold even him, weakened as he'd been by his long fall through the void. It might even have been enough to hold him when at full strength, the walls having an odd dull feel to them, some sort of energy absorbing effect; he hadn't been sure if it was a natural property of the stone, or something set there by The Other, but in either case it had not been anything amenable to his own magic. That he did not bother telling Steve about, though he did explain that he'd been kept in a cell, and explained what he had seen the few times he'd been taken out. There was only a limited amount of observations he could share about the varieties of ships and weapons, the chitauri, the other creatures that shared their environment, the curious blend of organic and inorganic parts that almost all their technology seemed to be based upon.

He avoided talking much about The Other itself, or its master, Thanos. It was... too personal a subject. Something he might be able to tell Tony about, a man who had also spent time trapped in the hands of his enemies, but not to Captain America, with his earnestness and honesty, and his seeming belief in a very black and white version of right and wrong. Apart from that one subject, it was almost surprisingly easy to talk to the man; it helped that his questions were intelligent ones, drawing out details that Loki hadn't always realized he'd noticed, such as what range various weapons could be used at, what amount of damage they did, and the speed with which they could be fired. By the time they both fell silent again, Steve lost in thought, Loki was feeling at least moderately impressed with Steve's abilities; his mental ones, that is, his physical ones already being quite impressive for a mere Midgardian.

Perhaps Steve might have made as good a choice for a handler as Tony after all. Though Tony's familiarity with current day events and technology still gave him a decided edge, Loki thought. Not to mention the surprisingly degree of... well, _friendship_ , that seemed to be developing between the pair of them. Not something that was actually necessary in a protector, though it did lend a certain extra impetus for Tony to protect him from his enemies that might otherwise be lacking. Not to mention it providing a reason for him to be kept in more comfort than a more hostile protector might have allowed.

Once thought of, it was hard to not think further of Tony, to wonder if he was done sleeping yet. Doubtful, Loki decided, it having only been two, perhaps three hours since he and Steve had left Tony's suite. He found himself wanting to see him anyway, even if the man was sleeping. He fluffed his feathers again, leaving them puffed out this time, feeling oddly sullen at his continued separation from the man, brief a time as it had been.

There was a faint ping from the direction of the elevators as someone arrived on Steve's floor, the sounds of an electric motor and tapping of shoes against floor betraying the presence of both Natasha and Phil well before they entered the kitchen. Steve rose to his feet, smiling at the pair of them, and bent down to exchange a quick kiss on the cheek with Natasha.

"An interesting discussion," Phil said, looking back and forth from Steve to Loki. "I have some additional questions, if you don't mind."

Loki tensed for a moment, unhappy to have not been aware that others had been watching their discussion, then reminded himself that he should have expected it. He turned his head to stare at Phil out of one eye for a long moment, then pecked at the screen again.

" __Acceptable._ "

"Good," Phil said, then glanced around the kitchen. "Mind if we move this to somewhere more comfortable?"

"I don't have this apartment wired up like Tony's is," Steve pointed out. "And we need Jarvis as an interlocutor."

"I brought a tablet," Natasha said, patting with one hand at a soft-sided case tucked under her other arm. "Living room?"

"Sure," Steve agreed, and looked questioningly at Loki.

Loki took off, flying back to the main room, and landed on the coffee table, deciding it was as good a place as any. The other three followed him out, Natasha slipping the tablet computer out of its carry case and setting it down on the table top near him. She and Steve sat down side by side on the couch, while Phil rolled his chair close to the coffee table, a much smaller tablet held in one hand.

"The aerial sensors you mentioned to Tony; the hive insects. Do you know if the chitauri have variations on those with other abilities? Such as being useful to map out areas, or bring back images of things that they've seen?"

" __I am not sure. I only witnessed the seeking type in use._ "

Phil nodded. "As well as the sleds and the, ah, space whales, you talked a little about their other ships. Tony spoke of seeing a particularly large ship, resembling an asteroid in material, that the missile he'd diverted impacted with, after which we know all of the chitauri that had passed through the portal ceased functioning. Do you think that may be a common flaw of their command and control methods? Something we can seek to exploit if any of them do indeed arrive here in search of you?"

" __Again, I am not sure. I was largely a figurehead, as far as control of the chitauri under my command went; I was not allowed any more familiarity with their abilities or technology than was needed to make quite basic decisions about how to employ them. However, their leadership is intelligent enough that if the flaw is something that can be corrected without excessive modifications to their methods being required, they will likely do so. I would not count on such a weakness being exploitable a second time._ "

"All right. Did you yourself see any of the larger ships? More than the one?"

Loki considered for a moment, replaying his memory of what little he'd seen of the chitauri fleet. " __I am certain they had more than one. There was one near the area where I was being held, and I believe I saw two more along the arc of the ring. Too far beyond easy sight to be sure, but they did not move the way the moonlets did, and their shape is relatively distinctive._ "

Phil froze for a moment, then gave him a sharp look. "Ring? Moonlets? Not a planet then?"

" __No. The chitauri may have had a planet or planets in the past, but where they live now is a belt of asteroids surrounding a dying sun._ "

"Like a Ringworld?" Steve asked interestedly, which had Natasha and Phil both giving him questioning looks. "Tony's had me reading some classic science fiction," he explained, smiling shyly.

That led them off on a tangent for a while, as Jarvis explained to Loki about the theoretical constructs mankind had imagined as future mega-habitats, different forms of rings and spheres, even gigantic balls of snow. An interesting tangent, but one that Phil eventually pulled them back from, asking for a more thorough description of the chitauri's environment. That didn't take long, there not really being all that much to describe; the dying sun, the broad ring of moonlets and asteroids, the larger of them locked to always present the same face to the sun, the smaller ones allowed to tumble, the odd fauna – including the so-called space whales, and their lesser and greater cousins – that inhabited the ring alongside the chitauri.

"An asteroid belt such as described could have a phenomenal number of inhabitants," Phil pointed out. "The EMP from Stark's nuclear weapon would only have affected a fairly small arc of the entire belt."

" __Asgard will doubtless deal with most of the rest, for their having trespassed on the soil of Asgard in their attempt to recapture myself_ ," Loki advised them. " _Whatever remains to potentially attack here will only be some very small part of the whole._ "

"Can we be certain of that?" Steve asked.

" __As certain as I am of the capabilities of my... the Aesir_ ," Loki said.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell us anything about those capabilities?" Phil asked, and then smiled thinly at the sideways look Loki gave him, shrugging slightly. "Had to at least ask."

Steve and Phil spent a little time in further conversation mostly between the two of them, trying to guesstimate how many chitauri there might be in the ring system, how large a percentage of them the Aesir might kill, and other related subjects on which Loki was either unable or unwilling to give an answer.

"This is pointless," Natasha said after a while, sounding just slightly bored. "We lack enough information to make any useful estimates of the numbers we might face, if the chitauri even manage to find their way here. Either they will be a small enough number that we can handle them, or they will not be. In either case, it is not the total we have to worry about, it is how many we have to engage at a time."

Steve smiled at her. "You're right. It would be more useful to discuss tactics than try to work out some overall strategy."

"Not right now," Natasha said firmly. "It's late and we've had a long enough day already."

Phil and Steve agreed. "I'll see Loki back up to Tony's floor," Phil said, looking at Loki, and tapping the left arm of his chair before moving his arm out of the way. Loki hopped the short distance from where he was to perch on the arm, partially opening his wings for balance as Phil steered his chair around and headed off to the elevator.

It was a quiet ride up, Phil looking interestedly at Loki but not speaking further until they reached Tony's penthouse. "Good-night, Loki. Thank you for your co-operation," was all he had to say, waiting a moment for Loki to fly out of the elevator before leaning over to push the button for his own floor.

Loki winged his way across the room and up the stairs to land on the floor before Tony's bedroom door, which was currently cracked open a few inches. He edged through the gap, tilting his head around to examine the dimly lit room. Seeing that Tony was still asleep, he flew to the bedside table, squatting down and fluffing out his feathers as he settled in to wait for Tony to wake again.


	41. A Day In The Lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 900 kudos now... once again, thank you for making me feel very much appreciated!

Tony groaned on waking, feeling the sort of deep-seated headache that meant he'd slept too long after not sleeping enough, compounded with caffeine withdrawal as a result of same. He groaned again as he rolled over and sat up, half-wishing he could just lie down again and go back to sleep, but knowing he had too many things to do. "Jarvis?" he called, then caught sight of Loki sitting on the bedside table. He smiled at the picture Loki made, feathers all puffed out and giving him an oddly disreputable look.

" _Good afternoon, Sir. It is 9:47am and you have slept for..._ "

"Yeah, yeah, way too long. Bruce awake yet?"

" _Dr Banner is awake and in his lab._ "

"Great, ask him to meet me in mine in an hour. Assuming SHIELD did deliver the doombot like Agent promised...?"

" _A delivery was received first thing this morning, and I took the liberty of having the crate brought up from the loading dock and locked away in the quarantine area._ "

"Excellent," Tony said, then turned to sit on the edge of the bed. Loki had stood up, his feathers smooth again, and Tony leaned over to run one knuckle gently down his front. "Do you need to eat yet, or can I go shower and stuff first? I feel disgusting."

Loki tilted his head to look at him out of one eye, then lowered himself back to the surface of the table.

"I'll take that as being a sign that you plan to wait here," Tony said, amused, then rose and headed into the bathroom. A long hot shower and a shave later, he re-emerged, feeling ready to tackle the day ahead. He dressed quickly in jeans and a sweatshirt, then dug around in his dresser until he found a pair of motorcycle gauntlets, pulling on the left one and offering that hand as a perch to Loki before carrying him down to the kitchen. That worked out much better than his attempt to carry him the previous day had, the leather giving his hand enough protection that Loki could take a proper grip on it without puncturing Tony's skin.

He heated some of the last of the cat food for Loki, and inhaled a couple of cups of coffee while Loki ate it, then picked him up again and headed down to the common floor to snag some breakfast for himself. Bruce had made it, he guessed, based on the breakfast leftovers being some sort of deep-fried fruit fritters sprinkled with powdered sugar. Or possibly Natasha. Definitely not anything he could picture Steve making, anyway. He inhaled a double handful of them before continuing on down to the lab and the waiting crate.

The crate was almost as large as one of his workbenches. He paused only long enough to haul in a stool for Loki to perch on before getting a crowbar and starting to pry at the lid. Bruce showed up just as he popped it free, and the two men wordlessly co-operated in removing the lid, standing it up against one wall of the room before returning to peer into the opened crate at the damaged doombot packaged within.

"I feel like one of those old explorers, popping open a sarcophagus in Egypt," Tony commented.

Bruce smiled crookedly. "Just so long as it doesn't come with a curse."

"Yeah, no, we can do without one of those. This Doctor Doom douchnozzle is enough of a curse as it is. Come on, let's get the rest of this broken down," Tony said, and picked up the crowbar to continue taking apart the crate, the robot it contained being far too large and heavy to just lift up out of it. Bruce fetched a pry-bar and helped as well, the two quickly popping the four sides apart and stacking them alongside the lid. That done, they began examining the robot, Bruce fetching a camera from the main lab to take pictures of it for their records.

They stopped to have coffee after their initial examination, leaning against the wall and staring at the robot as they planned out the order in which they would attempt taking it apart. Loki, who had been watching them all this time, took advantage of their break to fly down from the chair and pace around the robot himself, keeping his distance but looking it over thoroughly as well.

"See anything interesting, Loki?" Tony asked after a while, before draining the last of his mug.

Loki pecked the ground.

"That's a no," Tony explained to Bruce. "A peck for no, a nod for yes. For more complicated things, Jarvis helps out."

Bruce nodded. "Good system," he said, and finished off his own mug. "Do we want to work on this right here, or get it up on a table first?"

"Table," Tony said immediately. "Or my lower back is going to hate me. Run out the hoist, Jarvis."

An overhead hoist slid across the ceiling on a pair of tracks, and the two men soon had the lift belts fastened through the pallet base of the crate, after which Jarvis raised it several feet above the floor. They moved a heavy workbench in underneath it using a pallet jack, then guided the robot and the crate base down onto the work surface.

"I'm thinking it's time for lunch," Tony said. "Because once we start working on that thing I don't think either of us is likely to remember to break for food."

Bruce grinned. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed. "Eat in, or go out?"

"Order something in, I'm thinking. Have ourselves a little picnic on my balcony; Loki can fly around for a bit maybe, get some exercise. That sound good, Loki?"

Loki nodded after only the briefest of pauses for thought. Tony and Bruce argued amicably about what to send out for, while Tony put the gauntlet on again and offered Loki a perch. By the time they'd reached the elevator they'd decided to order in sushi, heavy on the veggie rolls, Bruce being willing to eat at least a little fish and being just as fond of a good wasabi rush as Tony was.

There were a couple of boxes sitting on the floor against the wall near the elevator, Tony noticed. "What are these, Jarvis?"

" _The perch and crickets you ordered, Sir. The perch is in the larger box. Care should be taken in opening the smaller box, the crickets should be contained in a suitable habitat within, but it may have opened in shipping._ "

"Yeah, I'd rather not have live crickets infesting the entire apartment," Tony agreed.

"I'll take care of opening the crickets," Bruce volunteered. "I've handled feeder insects before."

"Excellent," Tony said, and deposited Loki and the gauntlet on the arm of the couch before dragging the bigger box aside and tearing into it.

Bruce opened the smaller box carefully, peering into it with the lid only barely opened before opening it fully and lifting out the clear plastic tank it contained, filled a couple of inches deep with pieces of cardboard egg carton and swarming with dozens of crickets. "Loki, you hungry for any of these right now?" he called.

Loki hopped off the arm of the couch, landing near the tank and stalking over to peer into it, turning his head from side to side to get a better look at the insects inside, then pecked at the floor.

"All right," Bruce said. "Tony, I'm putting this in the closet for now so no one trips over it."

"Sounds good," Tony answered, a little distracted by assembling the perch. He had the base put together, and was looking at the variety of different thicknesses of perch it had come with, trying to decide which one was the best size to attach. "Bruce, mind heating some sake for us? Bottle should be at the left end behind the bar, the serving set is in the kitchen in the cabinet over the microwave."

He eventually decided on one of the thicker branches that had been supplied, one that was almost two inches in diameter at its widest end and narrowed down to only about a half inch or so at the smallest cut-off branch tips. "How's this, Loki?" he asked once he'd attached the branch to the upright support.

Loki flew over, landing on the perch and then shuffling back and forth on it a little before finding a spot where he was comfortable. He watched while Tony wired on the food and water cups, then had to spread and flap his wings for balance when Tony picked up the entire thing to carry it to a better location in the apartment, over near the windows. Tony grinned at him as he set it down again. "Hope you like the view," he said.

Loki glided down off the perch, coming to a landing in the middle of the terrazzo inset in the floor, and turned to look up at Tony.

"Ouch. Right. Is that a no?"

Loki pecked the floor.

Tony winced. "Okay. Sorry?"

" _I believe that's actually a double negative, Sir, and that Loki does in fact like the view, despite the, ah, embarrassing reminder nearby._ "

Loki nodded in response to that.

"Oh, good, thanks for clearing that up."

" _No problem, Sir. Also, the sushi has been delivered and is on its way up now._ "

"Excellent!" Tony exclaimed, and hurried over to the elevator lobby, arriving in time to meet one of the SI minions from the lower floors and accept the delivery from her; _actual_ food delivery people weren't usually allowed beyond the lobby, being too much of a security risk.

Bruce came out of the kitchen carrying a tray laden with a pair of small plates, the sake flask and matching cups, and the two headed out to the balcony, Loki swooping out the door after them. He perched on the edge of the table, watching with interest as the two men set down their trays, Bruce setting out plates and pouring for both of them while Tony uncovered the tray of sushi and sashimi, and set out the condiments and chopsticks. The two men were soon amicably picking over the selection, arguing over the merits of fatty tuna compared to smoked eel, and whether avocado was better by itself or paired with cucumber.

Tony noticed that Loki was still eyeing the food, and gestured at it with his chopsticks. "Want to try a piece?" Loki nodded, so Tony picked up one of the pieces of salmon sashimi and set it down on the table by Loki, who enthusiastically gobbled up the strip of fish, then pecked apart the rice roll, eating most of it but scattering loose grains of rice all around himself.

"I'm not entirely sure rice is good for birds," Bruce said thoughtfully, pausing in eating his own rolls to watch. "Raw rice supposedly isn't, anyway. Though since this is cooked it might be okay."

"No more rice, Loki," Tony told him, and fed him a few more strips of fish and one of egg, eating the underlying rice himself, until Loki pecked the table when he started to serve him another piece. "Okay. If you want to fly for a while, go ahead. No more than a block away in any direction, and check back here every ten minutes; I'll wave you in if I want you to land."

Loki turned and launched himself into the air immediately, climbing for height a little at first then turning to glide in a circle above the tower, soon disappearing from their line of sight.

"You're showing a lot of trust in him," Bruce pointed out.

"Because I'm not insisting on flying alongside in the suit? Really it's the spell I'm trusting in, that and that whole thing of him coming to me even when I hadn't specifically ordered him to. Which is, well, the spell again. At least mostly."

"Only mostly?" Bruce asked, an eyebrow raising.

"I might be becoming friends with him. Kinda sorta. Maybe. It's hard to tell yet. I mean, there's that whole communication barrier thing, and him having thrown me out a window last year, and me having fired my repulsors in his face, and all that sort of ex-enemies thing."

"Mmmm. You sure it's ex-enemies?"

Tony sipped his sake and considered for a minute before answering. "Yeah, I think I am. Mentally I think he's still a bag of cats, but the acting-like-a-dick quotient has dropped considerably since Thor dropped him off here. He's... friendly. Well, friendlier. Less hostile, at least."

Bruce smiled slightly. "You like him."

"You know, Natasha told me the exact same thing? Though she also pointed out that I'd never had a pet, and that even the people who've been my friends since even before the Avengers are not people I've ever been able to spend more than a few hours or days with at a time, while Loki's now been hanging out with me for hours every day for weeks. So it's a bit of a toss-up as to whether I like him because I really do like him or just because he's _there_."

"I think it'd take more than just proximity for you to like someone," Bruce said. "Despite the illusion of shallowness you've fostered for most of your life."

Tony smiled. "I think so too, and clearly you know me too well. I dunno... yeah, I like him, and I think it's for more than just the fact that he's right here with me all the time. Though that probably helps. As does the fact he's actually communicating now. Oh, look, here he comes," he added, as he caught sight of a black bird flying toward the tower. Bruce and he watched in silence for a moment as Loki glided closer, coming within a few feet of the railing before winging over, diving down the face of the tower and out of sight again. "Last piece of shrimp sashimi, you want it?"

"No, go ahead, though I want that last pickle roll you've been hoarding."

Tony grinned. "Okay, fine," he agreed, and transferred it from his plate to Bruce's. By the time Loki swung by again they'd finished off the last of the food, so Tony waved him in and they headed back downstairs to the lab and the waiting doombot.

* * *

Loki spent the day watching Tony and Bruce work, the pair of them carefully and methodically starting work on taking apart the robot and examining each part in detail, Bruce mostly functioning as extra hands and eyes for Tony, and handling the camera, while Tony figured out the actual mechanics of how the robot functioned, sometimes making appreciative noises over some particularly clever bit of engineering, but mostly swearing about how inelegant its construction was.

Loki found himself more interested in their work than he would have expected, the technology involved being so very different from what would have been used on Asgard. Primitive, in many ways, the humans lacking any real knowledge of some of the fields of study known elsewhere in the nine realms. Still, it was interesting to get a glimpse of how they were managing things without the benefit of the higher technology available elsewhere.

"It's a little better constructed than the ones that he attacked us with last time," Tony said eventually, putting aside a joint he'd been examining. "Not by much, I'd estimate only about a 4% improvement in movement, and only 2% in flying speed. So I'd guess he's working at about the limit of his ability to build these things; that might be why he's interested in my tech. Not only is my AI worlds ahead of everyone else, but the tech I use for things like the suits makes this stuff look like it was put together out of tinkertoy components."

"So you think he's looking to move up to a better grade of toys?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Huh. Plausible," Bruce agreed, then frowned down at the component he was currently taking close-up photographs of for their records. "Tony.. okay, I'm no electrical engineer, but what the heck is that thing? It doesn't look at all like anything I've ever seen inside of anything before." He pointed out the component in question with one finger, careful not to actually touch the lump of silvery metal. It had an oddly organic shape that Loki would have described as half-melted except it was so clearly shaped to fit into the space it occupied. Its smooth exterior was blank of markings, only the wires connected to several of its protuberances making it clear that it did serve some sort of role within the machine.

"Dunno. I've never seen anything like that either," Tony admitted, even as he continued work on disassembling the robot. "I scanned the first one I saw, I'm pretty sure that whatever it is is inert, so, at least not a self-destruct system, which was my first thought. It's pretty high on my list of things to take a closer look at."

"Well, that's good to know," Bruce said, sounding faintly amused.

Curious, Loki flew over to perch on the edge of the workbench, taking a closer look at the circuitry himself, then sidled away with a surprised squawk that caused both men to pause in their work and look questioningly at him.

"Something wrong?" Tony asked.

Jarvis popped open a keyboard for him, and Loki typed quickly. " __It uses magic._ "

Tony's eyebrows rose, and he straightened up, setting down his tools. "Magic. Really?" His tone was thick with disbelief.

If he could have rolled his own eyes, Loki would have. " __Highly advanced technology of the type that humans would traditionally refer to as 'magic', for want of any other term of your own for it, and which Victor von Doom doubtless would call by that name as well, yes._ "

Tony stared at him for a long moment, while Bruce's lips slowly curved into a small smile. "So... what does it do?" Bruce asked after glancing at Tony and apparently deciding that the other man wasn't going to ask.

" __I would need to examine the objects more closely to have any idea._ "

"They safe to leave where they are? Safe to handle?" Tony asked, picking up his tools again and slowly getting back to work on opening up the upper arm of the doombot.

" __I would not handle them with bare flesh, they may not be as inert as you believe they are._ "

"Wonderful," Tony said, a frustrated note in his voice. "What would it be safe to touch them with? Lead-lined gloves?"

" __Anything inorganic and non-conductive should be suitable._ "

"Okay. I think I'm going to move taking a closer look at those to the top of the list. Or at least the top once we've finished basic disassembly of this beast."

"Sounds like a good idea," Bruce agreed.

"Loki, I'll want you here when I do. Also, feel free to speak up if you spot anything else we should worry about."

" __Of course_ ," Loki agreed, and remained nearby, watching attentively until the two of them eventually called it a day, having taken apart about a third of the doombot. Tony again offered him a perch on a leather-clad hand, which Loki was guardedly pleased to accept.

"Supper out?" Tony asked Bruce as they walked to the elevator. "You can choose the place."

"Tempting, but I think I just want to have a quiet evening in tonight. I have a couple of articles I'd like to finish reading."

"All right. More whacky robot science tomorrow?" Tony asked as he pressed the buttons for their separate floors.

Bruce smiled warmly at him. "Of course."

Jarvis spoke up. "Might I remind Sir that you are meeting Darcy tomorrow for lunch and shopping."

"Okay, so team science only in the morning again. You can do whatever you want in the afternoon. Unless you want to go to the spa with us, maybe do some shopping too?"

Bruce snorted softly. "I think I'll pass, thank you," he said, then glanced at Loki before turning his attention back to Tony. "Still trying to convince Jane to move her lab here?"

"Of course. I think she's already tempted to take me up on it; she's just waiting to see if I can come through for her on the sensor front before making a decision, is my bet. I think I have Darcy pretty firmly in my camp, she likes the amenities here. Though before you ask, that is _not_ why I'm spending time with her tomorrow."

"I didn't think it was," Bruce said mildly, then straightened up as the elevator came to a stop. "My floor. See you at breakfast tomorrow."

"Yeah, sure. Night, Brucie baby."

Bruce shot him an amused look over his shoulder as he stepped off the elevator. Tony leaned back against the wall as the doors slid closed, then smiled at Loki, raising his hand to brush at the feathers of his breast again. "You and me for dinner I guess. More yummy cat food and some crunchy crickets for you. Do you miss being able to eat real food?"

Loki wasn't sure. He shook out and settled his feathers, croaking softly, then suddenly nodded, thinking not of the feasts of Asgard, but instead the tidbits his mother had sometimes brought to him in his cell, savoury tidbits or sweetmeats baked with her own hands, special treats for her unruly son. Her alone could he think of as family without it hurting, or at least with the hurt being of a different kind than the painfully enraged feeling that thoughts of Odin or Thor usually brought to him.

As soon as the elevator doors opened he launched himself off of Tony's fist, crossing the room to come to a landing on his perch, his back to the room, watching the city lights below. He heard Tony walk to the kitchen, the sounds of him moving around heating up more of the cat food, then his voice, talking on the phone.

"Hey, Clint. You doing anything tonight? I was thinking of going bar-hopping... no? Okay, a rain check it is. Do you know if Nat and Cap are... okay, I won't bother calling them then. Thanks. Yeah, too many evenings in make Tony a dull boy. Right, see you tomorrow."

There was a brief silence, then a deep sigh. Tony came out again a couple of minutes later, dumping the warmed cat food into the feeding cup of the perch, then hauling the cricket tank out of the closet and capturing several of them to feed to Loki, offering them to him one at a time. Loki plucked them carefully from Tony's fingers, being careful not to accidentally peck him.

Afterwards Tony went over to the bar and poured himself a drink. He pulled a chair over to near the perch, turning it to face the windows, and then dropped down into it, slouching back with his tumbler cradled in the fingers of both hands. For a while he just sat there, taking occasional sips of his drink and staring out the window at the city.

"You know, for the longest time I hated this city," Tony finally spoke. "I grew up here. Not _here_ here, obviously. There was a family mansion. _Is._ Is a family mansion, though it's been sitting empty for years now, apart from care-taking staff and the offices of the Maria Stark Foundation. I lived there with my parents until I went away to MIT, and then after MIT they were dead and I couldn't stand the thought of living in the mansion on my own. Bought myself a nice condo, turned it into a rockin' bachelor pad, but it wasn't much better. So eventually I decided I'd rather live in California because of how much I hated living here. Though it wasn't so much the city I hated as... well, my father, and my relationship with him, or should I say my lack of a relationship with him, and my mother and pretty much ditto. The only two people here that I'd actually been close to growing up were our butler, Jarvis, and he'd died just before I went away to MIT, and my father's right hand man. Obadiah Stane. _Obie_. He was fine with me moving out to the wets coast, we had a nice campus out there already. Moved out there himself eventually, said he might as well be closer and the weather out there was more to his liking anyway."

Tony knocked back the remainder of his drink, and just sat there for a while, silent, face pale, eyes focused on nothing. "It's because of him I have this," he eventually said, softly, one finger tapping against the arc reactor hidden under his shirt. "He tried to have me killed, and when that didn't work out, he tried to kill me himself. That didn't work out for him either. He's dead. I'm not." He looked at the empty glass still held in one hand, fingers going white-knuckled and arm tensing as if he meant to throw it – perhaps right through the window, given the direction he was facing – then he sighed, and leaned over to set it down on the floor beside one leg of the chair. "I think I'm going to turn in early," he said, enunciating each word carefully even though he wasn't even tipsy, much less drunk. "Maybe read for a while or something." He rose to his feet and walked away.

Loki watched him leave, and decided that it didn't sound as if he currently wanted any company. He returned his attention to the window, though he was no longer seeing the city outside. He was thinking, instead, of his own complicated relationship with the man he'd grown up thinking of as his father. Thinking about Tony's too-brief comments, and wondering what much more complicated story doubtlessly fit behind them.

Some hours later he flew upstairs, settling down on the bed against the small of Tony's back, and went to sleep.


	42. A Lot Confused

A hand tightening on his hip startled Tony awake. He froze for a moment, then turned his head to look at the man stretched out on the bed behind him. "Do you mind?" he asked, voice rough with sleep.

Loki grinned. His hand loosened, and he smoothed his palm over the spot where it had rested. "Not at all. Do you?" he asked, voice low, and trailed his fingertips around in little circles down Tony's thigh.

"Yeah, a little bit," Tony answered, though it wasn't actually the first response that sprang to mind, then rolled a little to pointedly move his leg away from Loki's hand.

"Ah," Loki said, sounding faintly disappointed, and rolled over onto his back, lacing his fingers together on his stomach, gaze fixed on the ceiling overhead. "My apologies," he said, voice flat and toneless.

Tony closed his eyes, holding back an exasperated sound. For a moment he considered saying nothing further, getting up and leaving, or even just changing the subject and asking further about more important things, like the chitauri, or _magic_... Well, he was known for making bad decisions, especially when it came to personal relations. He looked over his shoulder at Loki. "It's not that I'm not a little interested," he found himself explaining, voice thin with tension. "Maybe more than a little interested. And a lot confused. You're... _you_ , and a year ago we would have happily killed each other."

He turned over, flopping heavily to the bed on his other side, crossing his arms protectively across his arc reactor, studying Loki, who'd turned to look at him, just the faintest of puzzled looks creasing his brow. "I think I like you, and it scares me a little," he confessed.

The little crease on Loki's forehead vanished, replaced by slight crinkles at the outer corners of his eyes, faint smile lines bracketing his mouth. It made something in Tony lurch, seeing him look for a moment so relaxed, so pleased. "I suspect we may be equal in our confusion," Loki said, then rolled over onto his side, his arms folding into the space between them, almost but not quite touching Tony, his face settling into a more serious expression. "I told you before, I could no longer contemplate the sorts of plans I would have willingly implemented before living among you humans. You have begun to have value to me; all of you. The Avengers. Even, I suppose, some of the other humans I have chanced to meet."

Tony's mouth twisted in a slight smile. "Not ants, any more?"

"No. Not ants. Nor do I have urge to be a boot," Loki said dryly. He fell silent a moment, his pale green eyes studying Tony's face, attention focusing noticeably on his lips.

Tony's mouth felt unaccountably dry. "I should warn you I have morning breath," he said.

A real smile crossed Loki's face for a moment, smile lines deepening, lips opening to show even white teeth. "I will risk it," Loki said, voice husky, and shifted closer, eyes flicking back and forth between Tony's eyes and lips, lids slowly closing as he leaned in.

Tony stayed motionless, allowing it, remembering that earlier too-brief, surprising kiss in the lab. This started the same as that had, a brief dry brush of lips against lips, but instead of startling back, they both leaned into it, the contact firming, heating. Loki's tongue teased lightly at his lips, and he let them part, the kiss deepening.

Loki broke it, leaning back enough to wrinkle his nose and make a face. " _Pfaugh_ ," he sputtered.

"I warned you," Tony said, grinning.

"You did," Loki agreed, sounding amused, then leaned in a second time, keeping the kiss shallow this time, his lips brushing soft and warm against Tony's, then the corner of his mouth, his cheek, down to the line of his jaw. A series of little nips then, along the edge of it, that had Tony sighing and tilting back his head, eyes drifting shut as he focused on the feeling of Loki's mouth against his skin, a hand settling warmly against his side, fingers flexing slightly as Loki shifted position to lean over him, nose nuzzling into the hair back of his ear as a wet tongue tasted the skin just below his ear.

Tony shuddered, his own arms relaxing from their tight fold, one hand reaching to lay flat against Loki's chest, the other rising to cup his cheek. Loki shifted position again, his leg moving to nudge between Tony's thighs.

" _Fuck_ ," Tony sighed.

Loki broke off his kissing to chuckle softly, leaning his forehead against Tony's. "I'd like to," he said, voice a low purr that made Tony shiver, his cock twitch. "But we don't have the _time_ ," he added, sounding frustrated, then rolled away from Tony, sitting up and pushing his hair back with both hands, looking as frustrated as he'd sounded as he bent his legs enough to rest his elbows on raised knees, his long fingers still buried in his hair, head lowered.

Tony sighed, and levered himself up to lean on one arm, other hand reaching out to clasp Loki's upper arm. "I wish we did," he said. "As confusing and, and _messed up_ as all this is right now, I still really wish we did."

Loki's hands dropped, and he turned his head enough to give Tony a thin smile. "You humans. So full of surprises," he said, that note of amusement back in his voice, then placed his own hand over top of Tony's and squeezed slightly. "You have a busy day ahead," he pointed out as he released his grip.

"Yeah," Tony agreed, allowing the subject change, wondering if Loki might be as unsettled by this... whatever-it-was, that was developing between them, as he was. He rolled out of bed, scrubbing his hands through his hair. "Breakfast, doombot deconstruction, day with Darcy..."

Loki straightened up a little, giving Tony a sharp look. "Day? Or date?"

"Day. Man, how many people do I have to explain it to... you'd think people had never heard of a platonic friendship. I like Darcy, I don't _like_ like her. Sure, my younger self would have happily hit that anyway, but my younger self was a different person with different priorities. Stupid ones, mostly."

"Methinks thou dost protest too much."

"Oh, shut up," Tony said. "Anyway, you want to tell me what you can about those magic doohickies in the doombots?"

"I will type up something later," Loki said dismissively, then rose to his own feet and came around the bed, a faint smile on his lips. "Assuming I still have a shape capable of such. Right now I would like to try and have a shower before I find myself in animal form once more. It has been far too long since I was last able to properly bathe in my own person."

"Be my guest," Tony said, gesturing to the bathroom door as Loki stalked past him. He heard the water start running even before Loki passed through the doorway, and smiled as he sat down on the edge of his bed. "Jarvis. What do you think of all this?" he asked quietly.

" _Assuming by 'all this' you mean the increasing closeness between yourself and Loki, I am not sure I have any opinion at all, Sir._ "

"I have a sneaking suspicion you do and just don't want to say," Tony said, and fell silent briefly, thinking. "I want to trust him. Even knowing what he's done in the past... some part of me wants to trust him. Am I crazy?"

" _No, Sir, or at least no crazier than usual_ ," Jarvis responded dryly, then fell silent briefly before continuing, speaking with a guardedly detached tone of voice. " _So far he has done nothing overtly untrustworthy. Not that I have seen anyway._ "

"Yeah," Tony agreed. "Nothing I've seen either, though, hello, _Loki_. Might not signify." The shower in the other room cut off, and a minute later Loki walked back into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his hips, drying his hair with another, droplets of water running down his pale skin. "Damn," Tony sighed, which earned him a warmly amused smile from Loki. "That was a very short shower."

"I would rather not risk changing in the shower, since I have no way of knowing what I might turn into."

"Really? No control at all?"

Loki made a face, wrinkling his nose much as he'd done after first kissing Tony earlier. "With my transformations under the control of someone else's spell imposed upon me, I have slight control at best. The end result is rather like thinking of something before sleeping and then perhaps dreaming of it. Only you might not always dream of quite what you were thinking of. Though the more... _intent_ , your thoughts on the subject are, the more likely you are to dream of something at least related to them." He paused, and chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. "And sometimes, there might be nightmares," he added, voice purposefully neutral.

"Had any of those yet?"

"No." Sounding amused again.

"Then I hope you continue dreaming peacefully. At least as it applies to shape-changes. Given some of the things you've turned into so far, I'd rather not see what creatures you could still end up as. Though the giant sabre tooth was pretty cool, in a slightly freakin' scary way. Anyway, my turn to use the facilities, maybe do something about that morning breath," he said, and headed into the bathroom himself.

Unsurprisingly, by the time he re-emerged, the towels were sitting in a heap on the floor, Loki nowhere in sight. "Jarvis? Where is he?"

" _Downstairs, Sir. On the perch._ "

"Still a bird then?" Tony said as he quickly pulled clothing out and dressed. Just jeans and a tshirt for now, since there'd be more work on taking apart the doombot before he had to get ready for his afternoon out with Darcy. Which he was looking forward to a lot, even if it did mean leaving the lab with work on progress.

He hurried down the stairs, craning his head to get a look at the perch as soon as it came into view, and came to an abrupt stop at the foot of the stairs, staring. "Wow," he exclaimed softly. Loki had his back to him, one wing partially outspread and his head lowered out of sight to groom the feathers. Feathers of dark grey, and of metallic green and blue, flashing to coppery bronze in places as the light hit them just right.

"Jarvis? What... _what is he?_ " Tony hissed.

Loki lifted his head and looked round at the sound, a head that seemed a little small compared to his overall size – longer than Tony's forearm – covered in a sleek cap of smooth grey feathers that sprayed out into a crest and fringed collar of long grey feathers around his neck.

" _A Nicobar pigeon, Sir,_ " Jarvis responded.

"Wow," Tony said again as he walked over, circling a little to one side to get a better look. " _Wow_. Look at you," he said softly. "Okay, a little gaudy maybe, but what's a little iridescence between friends. Jarvis, what does he eat now?"

" _Seeds, nut and berries._ "

"Those crickets are going to go to waste then?"

" _They should remain alive for another two to three weeks, I believe. If he doesn't turn into something that will eat them within the week, I can always consign them to one of our labs that does use them._ "

"Hrmm... go ahead and consign them now, I'm paranoid about them escaping and me having to deal with crickets everywhere," Tony said, wiggling the fingers of one hand dismissively.

" _Of course, Sir,_ " Jarvis said, sounding tolerantly amused. " _Would you prefer to box them up yourself, or should I have a minion from the SI offices come upstairs to take care of it?_ "

"Minion is fine," Tony said. "Come on, Loki, let's go see what's for breakfast."

* * *

"You're sure you're fine looking after him for the afternoon?" Tony asked, for at least the fifth time since Bruce had said that Loki could stay with him for the afternoon, while Tony was out.

"Yes, it's fine," Bruce assured him as he stepped off the elevator, and turned to look back at Tony. "I'm just planning to spend a quiet afternoon in my study, it's not going to bother me to have him around. You coming?" he added, turning his attention to Loki, who was perched on Tony's wrist, which Tony had padded with a strip of cloth, sufficient protection from the pigeon's shorter and blunter claws.

"You can stay anywhere in Bruce's apartment where he'll allow you, or your normal areas on either the common level or my floor," Tony told him, after which Loki fluttered out of the elevator and landed on the floor, turning around to look back at Tony.

"Enjoy your shopping trip," Bruce said, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I'm sure I will," Tony agreed, smiling toothily. "Spending money like water is often its own reward." The doors slid shut and he was gone.

Loki turned his head to look up at Bruce, who stood motionless for a few seconds, just looking back down at him. Finally he shrugged slightly, a small smile crossing his lips. "I'm going to make lunch for us," he said. "Feel free to look around, if you'd like." He stood still a moment longer, chewing on his lower lip as if thinking about anything else he should say, then nodded his head once and turned, walking off out of sight around a carved wooden screen, in the direction what Loki presumed must be the kitchen.

Loki examined the screen for a moment, a huge slab of wood pieced together out of thick planks of some dense orange-brown wood, ornately carved with trees, vines, and flowering plants, with an oiled finish. A beautiful piece, he thought, fine enough to have graced the halls of Asgard itself.

He stalked around the panel, and found himself in what had to be the main room of Bruce's apartment, a huge open space that was rather minimally furnished. The floor was pieced together out of assorted sizes of square tiles of stone, some polished, some not. There were also areas of cement inset with small cobbles or water-polished small stones, almost all in shades of white, cream and beige, just an occasional tile of a darker brown stone for contrast. The walls and high ceiling were painted a pleasant cream colour, the trim around windows and doors a contrasting dark brown wood. The furniture was of a very simple blocky style, heavy-duty geometrically shaped chairs and benches mostly, and a few low tables, all constructed of tobacco-brown leather and thick beams of the same dark wood. An assortment of throws, pillows and woven wall hangings softened the room, mostly in muted greens and yellows with an occasional touch of other colours. There was only a few items of decor; some rocks of various sizes, pieces of driftwood, and little knick knacks displayed on some of the tables. The windowed far end of the room was a small jungle of plants, most of them ensconced in rectilinear wooden planters of various heights, or hanging in pots suspended from the ceiling. Tucked in among the planters was a pair of small stone-edged ponds separated by a low waterfall, the drop only a little over a foot in height. It was, he decided, a very _restful_ room.

He hopped up onto the edge of one of the low tables, turning his head from side to side to look at the arrangement of items on it; a handful of flat water-smoothed stones of various sizes and a low wide-mouthed black-glazed ceramic bowl partially filled with white sand, a few pieces of beach glass, and three plants that looked more like little pairs of kidney-shaped stones than vegetation. He flew over to the windowed end of the room next, landing on the rim of the upper pool to drink a little of the water before wading out into the spillway between it and the lower pond, squatting down and fluttering his wings in the flowing water in order to wash his feathers. He perched in one of the small trees afterwards, grooming them back into order, until Bruce finally came into the room and cleared his throat to gain Loki's attention.

"Food's ready," Bruce called, and vanished back through the archway into the kitchen. Loki flew after him, having to land and walk through the swaying strings of shells and wooden beads that hung like a curtain between the two rooms. He fluttered up again once he was inside, finding a perch on the edge of the table that Bruce was just sitting down at. There were two plates on the table, one in front of Bruce piled with folded flatbreads and some sort of spicy smelling stew of vegetables, and a much smaller plate with a handful of raw grain and some cut up fruit on it. Loki walked over and settled down on the table top by the plate that was clearly meant for him, and happily tried some of its contents. Only once his gizzard was beginning to feel comfortably full did he begin to examine this room as well.

It was not as plainly or simply furnished as the main room had been, though it featured a similar mix of materials, the cabinets, counters and shelves being made of a blend of cement and unpolished dark wood. As well as the appliances he'd become used to seeing in the other kitchens – a fridge, an oven and stove – there were additional items he hadn't seen before, such as a thick-walled clay container of some kind inset in a stainless steel fitting in the countertop, heat radiating up from it; at a guess, it was what had been used to cook Bruce's flatbread.

It was a very colourful room; the floors were covered in red clay tiles, the walls each painted in a different colour, along with swathes of multi-hued gilt-stamped fabrics draping the windows, and used to make numerous pillows that padded each chair and the bench seat that ran along one wall. The rainbow of different hues felt like it should clash, but somehow the cacophany of colours merely gave the room a warm and cheerful feeling. There were numerous open shelves on the walls lined with an even wider variety of knick knacks than had been in the other room, things carved of wood, shell or stone; woven out of grasses, reeds, and sticks; or shaped of clay or brightly painted papier mache, as well as less organic materials such as plastics.

"From my travels," Bruce said softly, having noticed Loki's attention to everything. "I never realized I'd acquired so many things, not until I moved here and Tony discovered that SHIELD had everything collected from my residences over the years in storage somewhere. What of it had survived the less than gentle searches by General Ross' men, anyway."

His voice sounded a touch bitter on the final words. Loki made note to look further into Bruce's background when he had time, and find out who this General Ross was, and what he and his men had done.

After the meal they moved to Bruce's study. While he'd liked the other two rooms, Loki felt at home in this one, lined as it was with floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves overflowing with books and papers, with almost every flat surface in the room topped with additional stacks, many of the books peppered with bookmarks peeking out from between their well-thumbed pages. As soon as Bruce sat down at his desk a series of projected display screens sprang into view over top of it, neatly hovering above the stacks of notes and books littering its surface. Loki flew to perch on the back of Bruce's chair, watching interestedly as Bruce drew a pair of glasses from his pocket, perched them on his nose, picked up a pen, and set to work. Loki read along over his shoulder, fascinated despite himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony's first glimpse of Loki's latest form would have looked a little like [this](http://www.hdwallpapers.in/walls/green_colored_bird-HD.jpg), which was my own first look at the pigeon in question. They are rather interesting looking birds, and the similarity between their colouring and the colour scheme of Loki's armour sold me on them being something he just had to turn into at some point.
> 
> Also, the ceramic-walled vertical oven inset in Bruce's counter is a built-in tandoor oven. Tony probably payed an arm and a leg for a very fancy restaurant-grade version of one just to replicate a far simpler cooking item that Bruce might have used while in India.


	43. A Day With Darcy

"So, I was thinking, lunch first, followed by all the shopping, then hit the spa for a little pampering," Tony said as he slipped into the back seat of the car, where Darcy was already seated, having been picked up by his driver earlier.

"All the shopping?"

" _All_. The. Shopping," Tony agreed, grinning.

Darcy smiled happily. "Sounds good to me," she said agreeably. "Where are we lunching?"

"Depends what you're feeling up to. Something really fancy? A taco cart? Something in between?"

Darcy gave him an amused look. "Surprise me?"

"I can do that. I can totally do that," Tony said, and leaned forward between the seats to give directions to the driver, before settling back in his seat and looking interestedly at Darcy. "So how are things at the lab?"

She gave him an amused look. "Progressing," she said firmly.

"They could progress faster in..."

"In the lab you've built for Jane in the tower. Yes, I know. She's at least considering it, and that's all I want to say on the subject today. Okay? Can we do that?"

Tony made a face. "Okay. Fine. No spending the afternoon pushing for you and Jane to move into my beautiful fully furnished full-service mansion in the sky."

"Good boy," Darcy said, grinning briefly.

The car stopped and Tony got out, then gave Darcy a hand out. "Don't let the looks fool you," he told her as she gave the elderly diner a dubious look. "Looks like a greasy spoon, but the food is fan-fucking-tastic. Barton introduced me to the place. Trust me," he added, and guided her to one of the well-worn but spotless booths inside.

"You again? I thought you promised never to darken our door again," the waitress said, smiling warmly at Tony as she handed them both menus.

Tony gave her a wide-eyed look of innocence. "I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. You know how much I adore the food here. Not to mention the ambiance, the wine-list..."

"Don says thanks for straightening out that liquor license problem, by the way," the waitress said, express momentarily serious.

Tony made a dismissive gesture with one hand. "It was nothing. Bring us the mixed appetizer platter while we decide, please. Extra pita and dip."

"Sure. Drinks with that?"

"Darcy, beer? No beer?"

"No beer," Darcy said firmly. "I'd prefer to be sober while spending mass quantities of your money this afternoon; that's the sort of memory I'd prefer to have nice and crisp and clear."

Tony grinned. "No beer it is then. Something else maybe?"

"Ginger ale."

"Right. Ginger ale for the lady and a large coffee for me, please."

"Sure, be right back with those," the waitress said with another smile, then headed off to the kitchen.

"So, do I have a spending limit on how much of your fortune I can spend today, Big Sis?"

Tony smiled. "Only if you think it'd be more fun to have to work within a budget."

"Maybe. Let me think about that one," Darcy said. "Having a budget would be kind of like being on my own private version episode of 'What Not To Wear', which would be kind of cool. Only without Stacy and Clinton along to give me fashion tips."

"Hey, I could always give Barton a call if you really want a Clinton on hand. Though I think most of his advice would focus on yes to purple, no to sleeves and ruffles."

"Purple's not a bad colour for me," Darcy said judiciously. "But maybe we can save Clint for another day. Today is supposed to be just the two of us," she said, smiling warmly at Tony.

"You want to be careful of this one," the waitress said to Darcy as she set down their drinks and a platter loaded with appetizers, mostly of the deep-fried variety. "He's not the kind of boy you can bring home to mother."

Tony laughed. Darcy grinned at the waitress as she reached for a loaded potato skin. "I dunno, I think my Mom would be on board with the idea of me dragging a billionaire home for the holidays."

"And then heart-broken once you explained that I was your honorary older sister and not your boyfriend?" Tony asked, reaching for some mozzarella sticks, one eyebrow rising.

The waitress laughed. "Older sister? Now I've heard everything, Stark. You ready to order yet?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll have my usual burger platter. Darcy?"

"I'll have fish and chips with a side Ceasar, please."

The waitress nodded, jotting notes on her order pad, and headed off to the kitchen again. Tony turned his attention back to Darcy. "So what _would_ your mother actually think of me? Now I'm curious."

"She'd be very disappointed to hear I wasn't actually dating, more especially dating someone as rich as you are, and spend the next year trying to convince me to hit that, alternating with saying that she only wants me to be happy," Darcy said. "Also name-dropping. Everyone within a twenty mile radius pf her would know that I was a close personal friend of _that_ Tony Stark."

"And what about your father and – three, wasn't it – brothers?"

"Dad's not an issue. Died when I was, what, 11 or 12? Somewhere around there. My brothers do run to the protective though, at least the older two. I was the baby of the family for six years, plus the only girl, so, they kind of have it in their heads that they should be very protective of me."

"Six years between you and the youngest? He's a teenager still?"

"Just turned nineteen. Though he's been out on his own for a while; he and Mom don't get along. At all."

"Oil and water?"

"More like potassium and water. Explosions, flames, screaming. So, yeah, once he was the only one left at home, he showed himself the door. Kind of the black sheep of the family, the way Mom talks about him when she talks about him at all, but I think he's more of a slightly shop-soiled grey sheep."

Tony laughed. "Sounds like someone I'd like. Want any calamari?"

"Nah, knock yourself out," Darcy said, turning the platter so the pile of them was closest to him.

"So should I hope to meet your brothers some day, or be very very afraid of doing so?"

"Little of column A, little of column B. Mostly column A," Darcy said, smiling slightly.

"Good to know."

The waitress returned with their food, and talking pretty much ceased while they ate, apart from comments on the food. It wasn't until they were back outside that Tony turned the conversation back to their shopping trip. "So did you come to a decision on the budget versus no budget question?"

"I hate to seem greedy, so... budget?"

"Sure. Now according to all my in-depth research – five minutes via Jarvis – the show gives a budget of $5000, which to my way of thinking is barely enough to cover one really good outfit. So... I'm going to say... hrmm, don't want to break the bank here. Not that you could with only a few hours of shopping. Anyway, why don't we say one really good dress of up to that in value, so you have something pretty to wear the next time I sign you up as arm-candy, and then another $5000 in off the rack stuff and accessories. Oh, and Pepper and Natasha have both told me I have to buy you a really good pair of heels, we'll count that as a separate budget item since I've seen Pepper's footwear bills and I know how much she'd expect me to spend.."

Darcy grinned and took hold of his arm. "I'd say lead on to somewhere we can get me a $5000 dress, because that it so far beyond my usual clothing budget that I don't have any idea where I'd even go for something like that."

Tony grinned. "Of course. This way," he said, and strode off down the street, a big smile on his face.

* * *

Darcy moaned and went limp in her chair as the pedicurist began massaging her feet. Tony grinned. "Nice, isn't it?" he asked.

"Fabulous. My feet were killing me. So much walking. So. _MUCH_. Walking!"

Tony's grin widened. "You were the one that insisted you needed to find just the perfect pairs of shoes to go with all your new outfits. You dragged me to six different shoe stores, woman. Six!"

Darcy laughed briefly, her eyes shutting as she tilted her head back against the head rest and enjoyed her foot massage. "I dragged you to _four_. The last two were all on you, sweetheart. You and Pepper and Natasha, and remind me to send them both thank you notes about my lovely new Louboutins. I still can't believe I own a pair! The Miu Mius are gorgeous too. Not Louboutin gorgeous but how could I pass them up with that name. Remind me to show them off to Thor next time he's in town. And anyway, you're the one that's entirely to blame for dragging me halfway across the city to that second lingerie store."

"Oh please, like something off the rack from some chain lingerie boutique was going to be anything close to a proper fit for you. They almost all have an atrociously limited range of sizes, certainly nothing worthy of your... your..." He waved one hand vaguely in the direction of her upper chest.

"My girls? True. Finding even an adequate bra is a bit of a trial. So, yes, thank you very much for twisting my arm and dragging me off to a high-end boutique, and buying me so much pretty, pretty underwear. The girls have never felt more comfortable."

Tony smiled. "I'm your big sister, I'm supposed to help make sure you learn about things like proper fitting bras." That statement earned him a funny look from the pair of women busy looking after him and Darcy, but that just made Tony smile even more. "This is fun," he told Darcy. "So what do you think, should I just go for my usual trim-and-buff on the nails, or get them polished? Are you getting yours painted?"

"Hmmm. Fingernails done, I think. I like doing my own toenails... it's soothing, and if I mess it up, or do funky colours, usually no one is going to see it but me anyway. Though I think you'd better stick to just your usual buffing, or a clear polish, unless you _want_ to troll the paparazzi."

"Normally I'd say yes to trolling, but I think the two us hanging out so much is going to do that all on its own, especially if any of them noticed me buying you lingerie. Which, by the way, are you fine with the probability that you're going to end up a target of the paparazzi yourself? It can be... daunting, when you're not used to it."

Darcy shrugged, looking not in the least worried. "I work in a secure facility, my apartment is in an almost equally secure building, and the rare time I'm not in either of those locations, I'm most likely hanging out with one or more Avengers. Regardless of New York's laws meaning I can't have my trusty taser at my side any more, I am not overly worried about paparazzi. Besides, if they get on my nerves too much, there's always the Thor solution, at least when he's actually on earth." She frowned a little, clearly thinking about the fact that he hadn't been around for weeks now.

"The Thor solution?" Tony prompted.

Darcy grinned. "Thor _likes_ me. I am the friend and carefiver of his lady-love. Thor would not take it well if he found out that people were making me unhappy. He also does the most excellent look of disappointment. It's truly heartbreaking. I've actually seen a photographer apologize and wipe the photos from his SD card when Thor expressed his unhappiness about candid photos being taken of him and Jane going grocery shopping together. So, yes, the Thor solution – unleashing the puppy eyes of doom on hapless paparazzi. Or if they really manage to piss me or him off, there's always miu-miu."

Tony grinned. "Ah. A neat solution, yes. And I should probably point out that Thor is not the only Avenger you could call on if you needed any sort of assistance at all. Even not counting me, I'm pretty sure both Rogers and Barton would be very unhappy with anyone making you unhappy. Bruce too. Even Natasha."

Darcy smiled, a sweetly innocent smile that was somehow anything but innocent. "Steve would unleash the puppy-eyes of doom too. Clint would probably make his displeasure a bit more pointedly known, as would Natasha. I wouldn't want to get Bruce involved though, better off him staying under the radar, right?"

"Right. Anyway, getting back on topic... by the time we're done here it's going to be getting late. Do you prefer to be sent home, or would you maybe like to drop in and have supper with me and whomever else is on hand at the tower? I can have the car pick you up and get you home first thing in the morning, unless you decide to hang out with us some more."

"Awww, you're asking me to a sleepover? How can I say no. Can we watch sappy movies and eat popcorn and ice cream and do each other's toes?"

"I thought you wanted to put bows in my hair?"

"That too, maybe, but I think doing your toes would be even better."

"I don't know, what colour are you thinking?"

"Hot-rod red of course, with a touch of gold. Have to match the suit."

"Oh, I like. Okay, yes, you can paint my toes," he agreed, and grinned at the amused look his manicurist was giving him.

* * *

A chirping sound came from Bruce's pocket. Loki watched as he slipped his phone out and held it to one ear. "Hi Tony. What's up?" A brief pause, during which Bruce looked down at Loki, perched on the arm of his chair. "Sure, that sounds fun. We'll be right up," he said, and pocketed the phone again.

"Tony's invited me to dinner with him and Darcy," Bruce told him, and offered his hand for Loki to perch on. "He's ordering something in."

Loki dipped his head in acknowledgement, then hopped onto Bruce's hand, sidling carefully sideways to where he could grasp onto the thicker fabric of Bruce's shirt cuff instead of bare flesh. Bruce rose carefully, heading to the elevator and upstairs.

They clearly weren't the only people invited; Steve, Natasha and Phil were also there when they arrived upstairs in Tony's suite, though Clint was not; already out for the evening, according to Phil. The food Tony had ordered in was good, something he called 'Asian fusion' and that seemed to include a variety of things to everyone's taste. Tony had even thought to have some fruit included for Loki, though he opted to eat it at his perch rather than joining them at the table.

It was... pleasant, to perch there and look out over the darkening city, listening to the flow of soft conversation from the other room, the occasional laughter. To feel at least a little part of the group, even though he was separate from it. Even the slight ache of wanting to be a real part of the group, instead of an involuntary adjunct to it, was somehow soothing. Meal finished, he fluffed out his feathers and lowered himself to balance stern-down on the perch, eyes closing as he rested, mind drifting pleasantly but otherwise keeping himself firmly away from actual sleep.

"He's gorgeous," a voice said softly, from startingly close by, and he rocked on his perch as he jerked back to full awareness, turning his head to find Darcy standing just a couple of feet away, looking at him with interest. Tony was over at the bar pouring a couple of drinks; the others were apparently all gone, presumably having retreated to their own floors or the common level.

"He is," Tony agreed, and glanced up, flashing a smile at both of them. "Not as cuddly as he was when you were last here."

"He was a gorgeous Pomeranian, too," Darcy said, glancing over her shoulder at Tony, then frowned slightly as she turned her attention back to Loki, meeting his gaze. "And we shouldn't speak of you as if you aren't right here," she said firmly. "You want to join us in watching a movie? I should warn you I'm probably going to choose something very girly. Well. For a given definition of girly. I wouldn't want to scar Tony's psyche so badly that he never wanted to have a girl's night in with me again," she said, leaning closer and speaking in a stage whisper, rather to Loki's delight.

He fluttered his wings, moving the short distance from the perch to her shoulder, drawing a startled squeak from her, followed by a smile. "I'll take that as a yes," she said, and walked over to the seating area, carefully lowering herself onto a couch with a good view of the TV. Loki hopped from her shoulder to the back of the couch, sidling along the back so that when Tony joined them, handing a glass to Darcy, Loki was perched between them.

"So what are we watching first?" Tony asked, lounging back comfortably and taking a sip from his drink.

"Hmmm," Darcy hummed thoughtfully, then smiled. "Jarvis, do we have Fried Green Tomatoes?"

" _Assuming you mean the movie and not the appetizer, yes, Ms Darcy._ "

Darcy grinned. "Excellent. Play that please, Jarv."

" _Of course, Ms Darcy._ "

"Fried Green Tomatoes?" Tony asked, sounding curious. "I don't think I've heard of that."

"Of course you haven't. I'm betting you'll like it though."

Judging by the intent way that Tony was soon watching it, and his loud – and sometimes foul-mouthed – reaction to events in the movie, Loki thought that Darcy had been right in her judgement.

"I liked Kathy Bates' character," Tony said when the movie ended, blinking a lot, his voice just a touch hoarse.

"Of course you did," Darcy said, curling up sideways on the couch with her head resting against the back of it, and smiling fondly at him. "You and she are two of a kind."

"What? Me and a middle-aged housewife? Are you crazy?"

Darcy lifted her head. "Oh, come on... someone who was dissatisfied with their life until events happened to make them re-evaluate their life choices, and then remade themselves into a happier self. Who was willing to open their own home as a place for a friend to live. And that parking lot scene, I refuse to believe that that is not something you would do in a heartbeat yourself, if sufficiently aggravated."

Tony opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking thoughtful. "Okay, point," he finally agreed. "Yes I would totally do that in similar circumstances. He smiled at Darcy. "Who would you be? Idgie?"

"I would like to say yes, because I adore the fuck out of Idgie. But I think I'm more likely to be someone like Sipsey – a background character."

"A background character with an unexpectedly pivotal role," Tony pointed out, and smiled warmly at her. "Someone who looks out for the people she considers friends."

"Maybe guilty as charged," Darcy said, then sighed. "I love that movie but it always leaves me feeling... melancholy. Can we have ice cream now?"

"Of course. Jarvis, we have some in stock or am I going to have to send out for some?"

" _There is a choice of honey vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and spumoni ice cream in your freezer, Sir, and additional flavours available in the freezers down on the common level._ "

"Ooo, dibs on the spumoni," Darcy said, face lighting up. "My favourite! Well, one of my favourites."

"You would like the mixed-up-messes sort of flavours. Dibs on coffee for me. Need a drink refresh?"

"Just a glass of milk or something equally tame," Darcy said. "I want to enjoy this evening, not get drunk."

"Loki, you hungry or thirsty or anything?" Tony asked, craning his head to look at where Loki was still perched on the back of the couch, nestled into the gap between two of the cushions. Loki pecked at the cushion to signal no. Tony headed off to the kitchen to fetch ice cream and some non-alcoholic beverages for himself and Darcy.

Darcy sighed and snuggled against the back cushions of the couch, looking curiously at Loki. "You might be Idgie," she said thoughtfully. "Independent. _Fierce_. Doesn't fit in wellmor do the expected thing very often; a rule-breaker. Willing to do what it takes to protect the few people you really care about. Maybe a little confused at times about just who that is and why."

 _Damaged_ , Loki thought to himself, remembering some of Idgie's background. Still, Darcy had said she admired Idgie. He felt... warmed, by her being willing to identify him with a favoured character. He sidled closer, and nibbled a little on her hair, his bird-instincts wanting to groom her feathers She made an odd little squeaking sound, then lay still, watching him and smiling broadly as he chewed on a lock of her hair.

"Lewis, are you corrupting that poor innocent bird?" Tony asked as he walked over, carrying a tray laden with bowls of ice cream and an assortment of beverages.

"I'm pretty sure Loki came pre-corrupted," Darcy said, and straightened up to take her bowl of spumoni ice cream, immediately digging out a big spoonful, making lewd noises of enjoyment as she ate the first bite of it. "Ohmy _gawd_ that's so good. Thank you Tony, you throw the _best_ girl's night in."

Tony grinned. "I do try," he said. "Any idea what you want to watch for a second movie?"

"Something brainless enough that I can paint your toenails later while we're watching, and not feel like I'm missing out on something I want to see," Darcy said firmly.

"Got a title in mind?"

"Not yet. Let me think," she said. "Hey, Jarvis, you're well-stocked on old black and whites, right? At least I'd assume you are, what with Cap living here."

" _Indeed, Ms Darcy._ "

"How about My Man Godfrey? I could use some light-hearted ditziness mixed with minor social justice."

"Oh, now that title rings a bell. I think I watched that once. Maybe. A long time ago and I was probably very drunk at the time. But all right, bring it on, Jarvis."

" _Of course, Sir._ "

"It's fluffy, right?" he asked Darcy as they settled back down comfortably to watch.

"Very fluffy. Most of it, anyway."

Loki enjoyed the movie, what of it he paid any attention to, but even more entertaining was watching Darcy paint Tony's toenails after they'd finished their ice cream, applying a base coat of red the same shade as his suit, with an edge of gold, an intent expression on her face as she worked.

"Can I do yours?" Tony asked when she was done, as he cautiously wiggled his wide-spread toes, admiring the colours.

"Sure," she said, and dug in her bag, producing a bottle of sparkly purple polish that matched her fingernails. "Try to paint within the lines," she said firmly as she passed it over to him, before shifting position so that her foot was resting on his knee.

Tony smiled at her as he shook the bottle. "I'll try my best, though mostly when I have an important paint job that needs doing I leave it up to Jarvis' skilled spray guns. Haven't ever built him a nail-painting attachment though, so you'll have to take your chances with my possibly unsteady hands," he said, then unscrewed the cap, wiping off most of the polish from the brush within before bending over her foot, working carefully.

He did a surprisingly good job, Loki found himself thinking, only once smearing a little of the enamel onto the skin around the nail.

"You have nice steady hands," Darcy said approvingly, winning a flash of smile from Tony. "Good job."

"I'm glad you approve. Another movie, or are you ready to call it a night?"

"Another movie," Darcy agreed. "But we should change into our jammies first. And make popcorn. Possibly alcoholic beverages."

"Something with chunks of fruit and a cunning little umbrella?" Tony asked, sounding amused.

"Pass and pass. Though something containing fruit juice is allowed."

"Margarita? Mojita? Mimosa?"

"Do you only know cocktails that start with M?"

"Fuzzy Navel? Zombie? White Russian? Long Island Iced Tea?"

Darcy laughed. "Stop. Do you have anything chocolate?"

"I have both Godiva dark chocolate liqueur and Godet white chocolate liqueur. Don't ask me why, I'm not the one who stocks this place," he said, gesturing vaguely at the shelves and cabinets lining the wall in back of the bar.

"Ooo, in that case, I'd say we need both bottles, the biggest wine glasses you have, and the vanilla ice cream Jarvis mentioned earlier."

" _More_ ice cream? You're trying to kill me, aren't you. Or make me diabetic. Something nefarious."

"No, just introduce you to another entry in the wide range of awesome beverages that contain ice cream," she said firmly, padding bare-foot off to the kitchen to fetch the ice cream. "Tell me you have milk or half & half or something similar on hand," she called as she disappeared into the other room.

"Check the fridge," Tony called after her.

While Loki and Tony looked on in interest, Darcy combined ice cream, shots of both chocolate liqueurs and some milk in the two glasses, stirring them until blended into a milkshake-like alcoholic mixture.

"This is good," Tony agreed after trying a sip of his. "Sweeter than I normally like a drink to be, but still..."

"Ice cream," Darcy said sagely, nodding her head understandingly. "Always good. And for the third movie... I want an action flick where I can ogle the muscular main lead. With lots of explosions and very little plot. Got any suggestions, sis?"

Tony grinned. "Oh, have I ever," he said. "Something recent, or an older film?"

"Surprise me," Darcy said, smiling warmly at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...holy crap, 1k kudos. Noticing this story had just broken that was the best Valentine's day thing ever.
> 
> Hopefully get back to more regular updating soon. Need to get back into writing first, reading only once I've done a satisfactory amount for the day.


	44. There Is No Contest

Loki groomed an out-of-place feather on his right ring, then looked thoughtfully at the other two occupants of the room, both sleeping, Darcy stretched out on her side on the couch, and Tony curled up on top of a raft of cushions on the floor.

They were both dressed in their pyjamas, Darcy wearing well-worn grey sweatpants with peeling letters spelling the word "Culver", and a blue sweatshirt of a size that looked like something Thor could wear, the sleeves gathered up in bulky folds and the ragged lower hem hitting her somewhere mid-thigh. Tony was wearing his favourite pair of silky red sleep pants, topped off with a plain black tank top in deference to Darcy's presence. Both were covered by sheets, a black satin set that Darcy had howled over finding when looking in Tony's linen closet for bedding, after having declared that it wouldn't be a real sleepover if they settled for her using the guest bedroom while Tony slept in his own bed.

Tony had complained over her choice, of course, but given in. "Fine! Though I can't believe I still own these, because let me tell you, satin may look nice but it sucks for actually sleeping on. Or other activities on."

"I can't believe you own these at all. No, I lie, I can totally believe that satin sheets is something a younger, sluttier you would have bought," Darcy had responded, then given him a suspicious look. "Wait. Just how old are these anyway? Isn't this a new building? Why would you bring old sheets to a new place?"

" _They were among the belongings Sir left in long-term storage here in New York when he moved out to the west coast after college,_ " Jarvis had informed her, which had led to further laughter, and Darcy trying to figure out how many decades old the 'shiny satin antiquities' had to be.

Possibly older than her, Tony had finally admitted, to her obvious amusement. "Not that that's all that hard, you're like still a _child_ ," he insisted.

"Oh please, I'm older now than you were when you moved out to California. Were _you_ a child then?"

Tony had opened his mouth, then closed it and frowned. "Point," he finally conceded.

They'd compared their educational experiences after that, as they ignored another movie playing on the TV and settled in for the night in the living room, Darcy talking about what it had been like living in the dorms at Culver while Tony spoke fondly of the loft he'd rented near MIT, and inventing Jarvis to keep him company there.

"What about the robots? Did you make Dummy there?"

"No, I'd built him a few years earlier, when my parents were still alive. I took him to MIT with me, mostly because I didn't trust my Dad not to disassemble him for parts. I started work on plans for what ended up as You and Butterfingers while I was there, though I didn't actually build them until I was living out in Malibu."

Darcy had eventually dropped off to sleep while Tony told a rambling, disconnected story about he and his friend Rhodey going on something called 'Spring Break', which Loki made note to look up the meaning of later. Tony had eventually fallen silent and then to sleep as well.

Loki had been watching them sleeping for a while now, torn between feeling pleased that Tony had kept him nearby all evening, and aggravated that the girl was there. He'd become used to most evenings being times when he and Tony would spend time together, to the nights that weren't spent together in Tony's lab being a time when they could be physically close, while Tony (and sometimes he) slept.

If he could have smirked, he would, imagining Darcy's possible reactions if he were to join Tony on the floor and sleep tonight, reverting to his usual form, if she were to wake and witness them cuddled together in sleep. Would it change her view of Tony, make her less friendly towards him?

He fluttered down from where he was perched on the couch, landing on the pillows behind Tony, waddling forward to settle down where he could groom the man's hair, nibbling along a lock of it the same way he might sort out one of his own feathers. Safe, to show affection, while the two slept. And, while he was so close, to test the binding necklace that lay around Tony's neck, checking the remaining strength of the spell. Well-frayed, he saw; close to breaking entirely. A little extra effort and he might even be able to sever it entirely.

He found his thoughts turning to the question Tony had asked him just a few days prior; "Would you escape, if you could? If the binding spell failed right now, would you run away?"

His answer then had been mainly a pragmatic one; he was safer here, protected by the Avengers, than he was likely to be anywhere short of the halls of Asgard itself. Still true; yet even if he knew of some safer place he might flee to, he did not think he would want to. This dance of words and casual flirtation he and Tony were engaged in was intriguing to him. He wished to see how it might turn out.

He left off grooming Tony's hair and settled down on the pillows, fluffing out his feathers, and turned his head to look at Darcy again. Attractive enough, for a human, he supposed, and felt a momentary possessive desire to frighten her, to discourage her further friendship with Tony. But driving away Tony's friends was not something he truly wished to do; such actions would only serve to alienate the man. Besides, Loki knew too well himself what it was like to be friendless; to only be appreciated for the fame of his family, the power and wealth of his father. To have his friendship courted only by the lickspittles of the realm, honeyed words spoken to his face while sharp-edged tongues spoke of him in poisoned words behind his back...

He was growing too angry, he realized, and forced his thoughts away from the past, away from Darcy and Tony's other friends, to focus instead on Tony, on the slow rise and fall of his breathing, the slight twitching of his hands as he slept. Was it of working in his lab he dreamt? Flying his suit, fighting his enemies? Some other more erotic subject perhaps?

The urge to join Tony in sleep grew strong again. Loki shook out his feathers in irritation, then took to the air, flying away upstairs to Tony's room and Tony's bed. He _would_ sleep, but there, away from where the girl might see him. He landed in the middle of the bed, tucking himself down with his head pulled back, beak resting among puffed-out chest feather, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he lowered himself down and settled in place. He forced himself to calm, to put aside the fierce flood of emotions he was feeling, until he finally drifted off to sleep. And dreamed of flying, fast and high.

* * *

Tony woke, and for a moment hadn't any idea where he was. An oddly lumpy bed... oh, right, sleeping on pillows on the floor. He rolled over and pushed himself to a sitting position, looking around. Darcy was gone, the sheet she'd been snuggling under left neatly folded on the seat of the couch.

"Jarvis? Where's Darcy?"

" _She is currently showering in the bathroom off of the guest bedroom, Sir._ "

"And Loki?"

" _Asleep upstairs. I took the liberty of closing and locking the bedroom door to prevent any accidental intrusion._ "

"Good thinking," Tony said, then levered himself to his feet, wincing at the slight soreness from a night in an improper bed, and headed upstairs to shower and change as well. He paused just inside his bedroom, after shutting the door behind him; Loki was sprawled naked on the bed, the early-morning sun turning his pale skin to a warm golden tone, the light highlighting each rise of his skin, faint shadows filling the dips and shifting slowly with his breathing. Tony didn't know how long he stood there, just admiring the other man, before finally forcing himself to continue on into the bathroom.

A long hot shower and a fast hard jerk-off later, he re-emerged to find the bed empty. When he went downstairs there was no sign of Darcy or Loki in his living room or kitchen. "Where are they, Jarvis?" he asked, a little worried.

"Ms Darcy and Loki have gone down to the common level together in search of breakfast, Sir," Jarvis informed him.

Tony nodded, relieved, and hurried over to the elevator and down, striding out of the elevator and then coming to an abrupt stop at the sight of the tableau in front of him.

Loki was some sort of large raptor with dark brown plumage, with paler golder-brown markings – an eagle, he guessed by the large, heavy shape of him and the sharply hooked beak – perched on one arm of a long couch, his claws piercing the fabric from the strength of his grip. At the other end of it was Clint, dressed only in a pair of faded black pyjama pants and also perched on one arm of it, balanced on the balls of his bare feet with his arms crossed on his knees, the two exchanging an unblinking stare. Darcy was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, eating a pastry of some kind held carefully over a small plate while she watched the two. Natasha was standing behind her, eating something from a bowl and watching with equal interest.

"Umm... what... what's going on?" Tony asked nervously.

"No idea," Darcy and Natasha said, almost synchronized in their responses.

"Staring contest," Darcy added.

"At a guess," Natasha agreed.

"But _why?_ "

"Because Clint?" Natasha suggested.

Clint snorted, and glanced away from Loki for a moment, glaring at Natasha. "Shut up."

Natasha grinned, and took a somehow rather pointed spoonful of whatever she was eating while Clint went back to staring at Loki.

"So what bird is that?" Tony asked, expecting Jarvis to answer, but Clint spoke up before the AI could.

"Golden Eagle. By the size and colouration I'd guess an Asian Golden Eagle, not the American subspecies. They're one of the largest still-extant species of eagles. They can take down a deer – bite right through it's spinal column to incapacitate it – though they mostly eat smaller things; rabbits and marmots and so on. They've been popular in falconry since forever. Impressive birds," Clint recited, his voice flat

"And you're engaged in a staring contest with Loki because why?"

Clint blinked, then abruptly rose to his feet, stepping down onto the seat of the couch and then to the floor. "I'm not," he said, and flopped down in a loose sprawl on the couch. "There is no contest."

"There was some pretty intense staring going on."

Clint didn't say anything to that, just scrunched up his face and wrapped his arms around himself. Tony frowned. "Shoo, Loki," he said. "Kitchen. Let's find you something for breakfast."

Loki glanced his direction, then turned around and hopped down to the floor, moving with a rocking gait in the direction of the archway leading to the kitchen. Natasha slipped past Darcy, walking over to sit down beside Clint, while Darcy edged back into the kitchen. Tony followed after Loki, trusting that whatever Clint's issue was, Natasha would look after him.

Once inside the kitchen, Loki partially spread his wings and crouched, then with a single constrained flap leapt the distance from floor to counter-edge, wings mantling as he shifted his weight, finding a good grip on the edge of it.

"Nice wing-span," Tony said admiringly. "Jarvis, what do we have on hand that you'd recommend for our fine feathered friend?"

" _There are several whole chickens in the fridge, Sir – one of those should suffice._ "

"Excellent," Tony said, then looked over at Darcy as he headed to the fridge. "There any more of those pastries? I'm starving. Which is weird considering how much ice cream and popcorn you foisted on me last night. Also, coffee. My caffeine stream has too much blood in it."

Darcy grinned. "Whole tray of them keeping warm in the oven. And you can pour your own damned coffee, unless you ask me nicer than that. I'm Jane's assistant, not yours."

"Pretty pretty please with sugar on it can you pour me a mug of coffee while I... ugh... find a plate to put this gross drippy dead bird on for the living bird," he said, grimacing as he peeled off the saran wrap covering it.

"How about you just hold that over the sink while I find a platter. Touching cabinet handles after handling raw chicken _without washing your hands first_ is a good way to make people sick, you know," Darcy said, setting down her plate and starting to look through the cabinets, quickly turning up a heavy-weight ceramic platter that she deemed suitable for the chicken to be served to Loki on. Tony unceremoniously plunked the unwrapped chicken down on it, and she carried it over and set it down before him while Tony washed his hands. By the time he was cleaned up, she'd poured coffee for him, and had the oven door open, topping up her own plate with a couple more pastries before moving aside so that he could serve himself.

Tony sat down at the table beside her, the two of them having a good view of Loki wading into his food. Literally wading in; he'd moved forward to stand on the platter, clawed toes dug into the carcass, holding it down while he tore chunks of meat off with his beak.

"That is so gross," Darcy said after a couple of minutes, before licking her fingers clean of icing. "Makes me glad I won't be sitting down to a chicken dinner later today."

"Ugh. You would say that, now it's all I'll be able to think of when someone cooks the rest of those chickens. Assuming Loki doesn't eat them all himself."

Darcy grinned. "You're welcome. Now, you said something last night about having a car take me home? I _am_ supposed to be at work in an hour, making sure Jane is watered and fed and her pot given a quarter turn so she gets even light."

Tony laughed. "Yeah, sure. Jarvis, have a car readied for Darcy please. Did all our purchases make it to the tower yesterday? See those make it into the car too."

" _Yes sir, all expected deliveries were received. A car will be ready for you in ten minutes, Ms Lewis._ "

"Thanks Jarvis, you're the best."

"What, all the praise for him and none for your big sis?"

"You're the best fake big sister I have."

"I'd hope I'm the only fake big sister you have."

"Don't worry, you are," Darcy said, smiling warmly at him. "Thanks for the day out, Tony. I had a great time," she said, then leaned over and hugged him before rising to her feet. "Jane has a thing this weekend, but if you ask nicely maybe she'll come have another lab play-date with you and Bruce next week and you can try to lure her into that shiny new lab downstairs."

Tony grinned up at her. "I'll do that. Thanks... I had a lot of fun too. Maybe we can do it again some time?"

"Sure. Though you don't have to throw money at me every time, you know. Even just the movie night or something like that is great; the hours Jane usually keeps, I don't get many evenings out."

"But you'd be willing to waste at least some of them with me when you do, instead of going out clubbing or to a rave or whatever it is people your age like to do? I am touched," Tony said, grinning again.

"Yeah, well, so far I am not overly impressed with the local selection I have met of _people my age_. It's nice to spend some time with someone who isn't going to try and get all handsy with the girls, or start squawking about being _friendzoned_ when I won't put out just because they took me out a couple of times."

"Ow. Sounds like you've been hanging out with the wrong people."

"Not much choice of hangouts where Jane and I work. It's kind of bordering on rural. Or at least as rural as New Jersey ever gets."

"Another reason you and she should come live here. Manhattan has a much better class of night life. But I don't want to be pushy..."

"...but you are anyway. I'm at lest semi-sold on the idea, it's Jane you really need to convince though. Anyway, I better get going. Remember what I said, give Jane a call."

"Will do. Have a good weekend, Darcy."

"You too, Tony," she said, and ruffled his hair before turning and leaving.

Tony turned his attention back to his breakfast, fetching himself another cup of coffee before finishing off his last pastry. Loki, he saw, had almost finished eating the chicken. "Hey, Loki... think you'd like to go flying later today? Bet I can keep up with you in the suit."


	45. The Thrill of the Chase

"Loki, go ahead up to our floor, would you? I need to speak to Natasha for a minute," Tony told Loki. Loki tilted his head to look at Tony out of one eye, then dipped his head in agreement and turned awkwardly around, before launching himself off the edge of the counter, flying out through the archway in the direction of the elevators.

Tony turned back to look at Natasha, who was busy pouring boiling water into a small tea pot. "What's up with Clint?" he asked. "We going to start having problems with him over Loki's presence here?"

Her face remained still and calm while she considered his question, then she lifted one shoulder in a minimal shrug. "Maybe," she said, then turned and leaned back against the counter, looking at Tony. "You know he's justified in his reasons for disliking Loki. After what Loki did to him, especially after all the things he made him do... he's never going to be entirely happy about Loki being here, no matter what shape he takes."

Tony frowned, then nodded. "Yeah. Makes sense... and I can't say I blame him. Is this going to become a problem, if Thor doesn't come back for Loki soon?"

"I don't know," Natasha said. "A lot of that may depend on Loki himself; on how he acts around Clint. Clint isn't going to be very understanding about anything that could be interpreted as a threat to any of us."

"Or misinterpreted?"

Natasha shrugged again, then turned away, busying herself with arranging some of the pastries on a plate. "Possibly. He's feeling on edge right now, after Loki's little accidental nap the other day. Better to keep the two of them separated for a little while. Avoid any further accidents."

"Fine," Tony said, and sighed. "I wish things were easier."

Natasha smiled warmly at him for a moment. "Don't we all," she said, added a thermal carafe of coffee to the tray she'd been preparing, picked up it up and paused. "I think part of why he's upset is because he's finally realized just how little freaked out by Loki's presence he has been lately. If that makes sense," she said. "I'll talk to him later," she added, and left.

Tony wondered briefly who she was taking breakfast to, guessed it was most likely either Steve or Phil, then headed off upstairs to his own apartment. Loki was ignoring his perch in favour of standing on the railing by the door out to the peeler platform, head turning from side to side as he peered out through the glass. Tony smiled. "Impatient to go flying?"

Loki turned to look his way, then made an odd high-pitched yawping sound, not at all the sort of cry that Tony would have imagined coming from such a large and fierce-looking bird. Tony laughed. "Oh my god... it sounds like you swallowed a squeaky toy. Or a small puppy. Or a small puppy-shaped squeaky toy. Do that again!"

Loki glared at him, then turned his back, hunching up in a clearly offended manner. Tony couldn't keep himself from laughing again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't make fun. That was just... very unexpected. Come on, give me a minute to change into a proper undersuit and we'll go flying for a while, okay?"

Loki shifted his weight and lifted his head a little, feathers smoothing out, but otherwise didn't respond. Tony decided to take that as acceptance of some kind, and headed upstairs to peel out of his clothes and pull on the gel-padded liner that made wearing any of the armour so much more comfortable. By the time he went back downstairs, Loki appeared to be over his irritation, back to staring out the windows. His wings were twitching a little away from his body at intervals, giving away his urge to spread them and fly. Tony walked up the stairs that curved around in back of the bar, stopping beside Loki.

"Let me go first and give Jarvis time to get me suited up before you fly away, okay?" he asked, reaching out to run one knuckle down Loki's breast feathers. Loki dipped his head, then turned away a little, spreading out his left wing and grooming the feathers. Tony smiled, and stepped out the doors, walking along the walkway while Jarvis suited him up. At the end of it he turned and looked back toward the building. Loki had followed him out the doors, and had moved to perch on the outer lip of the walkway, head tilted down to look at the traffic far below. He glanced towards Tony, then without further waiting dove off the walkway. Tony grinned, and threw himself off over the side in Loki's wake.

That first sudden dive down reminded him inevitably of the day Loki had thrown him out a window of the tower; the view was near-identical, the two of them being only a few feet to the side of where the glass had been broken. Only this time Tony wasn't anticipating a messy death on the sidewalk far below while praying for the suit to make it to him in time, for the automated bracelet-guided lock-on to work. This time he was already fully suited, and the drop was exhilarating, his heart pounding in his chest for reasons other than fear.

Below him he saw Loki partially spread his wings, his flight-path curving away from the vertical as he moved easily from a stoop to a glide. Tony angled hands and feet to follow, soaring after him as they glided between the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Loki flapped his wings with smooth, powerful strokes, moving higher until he was above the nearby roofs, then spread and locked his wings and began a circling glide that took advantage of rising thermals rather than wing-power to rise higher into the sky. Tony followed, almost hovering as he rose slowly up while Loki circled in wide gyres around him.

"I guess you only fly really fast when you're stooping down," he said. Loki glanced his direction, spread feathers twitching slightly as he kept his wings spread to catch the rising air, sculling them a little when he needed to in order to continue upwards.

Tony sighed, and kept pace with him. He preferred speed; this slow ascent was boring. Still, as many calories as it doubtless burned for a bird to fly using wing-power alone, he supposed this more energy-conservative way of flying was likely key for many birds, especially raptors that needed to hover on high for lengthy periods of time while watching out below for potential prey. Still, boring. Though they'd already risen surprisingly high over the city; it figured that a giant radiator like New York city would have some fairly impressive thermal updrafts overhead.

Loki suddenly tucked wings and dropped again, stooping downwards at surprising speed. Tony yelped and flipped over, diving down after him, following as Loki dove down and then swooped between buildings, racing along high above the street below, Tony whooping aloud as he chased after him. Loki twisted and slipped sideways, turning to glide through the narrow gap between a pair of buildings before curving back upwards, letting first his own inertia and then driving wings carry him back up to the heights. Tony followed him, grinning in his suit.

* * *

Loki side-slipped, wanting to laugh when Tony believed the feint and started to dive again, while Loki recovered and drove himself higher, feeling the burn in wing and chest muscles from the extended flight. Flying was exhilarating; for a moment he wondered if Thor felt anything like this excitement when carried aloft by Mjolnir, if such flying could even begin to compare to the elemental enjoyment of wind on feathers or thin-stretched skin. Tony certainly enjoyed it; he had caught the sound of the man's whoops and laughter more than once already. His enjoyment of flight also showed in the way he so easily cast himself into the sky, trusting his suit to hold him safely there in somewhat the same way that Loki trusted his ensorcelled form to do the same. Disaster was possible, yes, but that added to the enjoyment rather than suppressing it.

He wanted to see, he found himself thinking suddenly, and drove himself higher, striving for even greater height while momentarily ignoring the armoured form rising alongside him, Tony having corrected his dive to follow after Loki once more. He needed to _see_.

He spread his wings wide again, holding himself in a glide well above the highest altitude the two had ascended yet today, the air cool and thin at this height, the city spread out for their view like toys scattered on the floor, even the rooftops of the highest structures being over two miles below them now. Adequate height for his purpose, he decided.

"Quite a view," Tony commented, hovering alongside.

Loki ignored him, mind turning inwards, tracing the limits of the well-worn spell, seeking among its fraying threads for the weakest points, grasping, _pulling_... felt the structure suddenly unravel, warm feathers giving way in a moment to bare flesh, his drop this time not a controlled dive but a sudden plummet earthwards, hair streaming upwards as cold air chilled his naked skin. He whooped in joy and exhilaration, even as Tony gave a startled cry and dove after him.

"Loki!" Tony shouted, swooping after him to catch him. Loki laughed and twisted away from his reaching hands, folding himself small to plummet faster for a moment, enjoying the visceral excitement of the fall. "Loki!" Tony shouted again, sounding almost frightened now. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Loki spread himself out again, and when Tony moved to catch him again, caught at him instead, grasping onto the suit's forearms so that it was he who controlled their hold, not Tony. He grinned toothily at the other man. "Nothing is wrong. I want to see your face," he called.

"What!?"

"Open the helmet. I want to see your face!"

"Loki, there isn't time..."

"We have almost a full minute from when this fall started before gravity will end it, even without your thrusters slowing the fall. _Show me your face!_ " he insisted.

Tony hesitated a moment, then the suit's faceplate folded up and back, revealing his expression. Loki grinned at what he saw there – worry over Loki's current actions, yes, even a touch of fright, but mostly there was excitement showing in his eyes, an elated grin wanting to curve his lips.

"You love this," Loki told him. "Flying. You _love_ it."

"Yeah," Tony agreed, and glanced worriedly downwards. "Come on, Loki, free fall is fun but not when you're not wearing a parachute. Grab on so I can get us down safely..."

"No," Loki said, and swarmed forwards, turning his head to the side to get past the edges of the helmet and press a brief but heated kiss to Tony's lips. Tony tried to grab him, but Loki batted his hands away and then pushed off from the suit, reaching for a form he had not worn in centuries. "Catch me if you can," he shouted, before the transformation started, body lengthening and thickening, legs shortening, fingers and arms spreading impossibly wide as skin and scales filled in the spaces between. When he spoke again it was with a full-throated roar of triumph, one that echoed among the buildings so close below him as he ended his free fall and begin to scull upwards again, wide-spread wings pulling him skywards at a speed that even Iron Man was hard-pressed to match.

* * *

A dragon. Loki had turned _into a fucking dragon_. Or at least that was the closest word Tony could think of for the shape he'd taken, long-bodied and scaled and bat-winged. His head was somewhere between the soft chrysanthemum-tentacled idea of eastern dragons and the smooth-scaled hardness that western cultures typically had for them, topped with a pair of long back-curving horns whose resemblance to his helmet could not have been more obvious if he'd tried, which maybe he had. His scales were green, a translucent peridot at the tips shading to a near-black opaque dark green at their base, glittering with gold flecks where the light hit them just right, as if there was specks of mica embedded inside. He had a long, lithe body, closer to the elongated eel-like shape imagined in the east than the stockier muscular shape of the west. And the way he moved... bare-skinned bat-like wings supported by long thin bones should not have been capable on their own of such speeds.

"Jarvis, tell me you're seeing this too," he croaked inside the confines of his helmet, mind alternating between thinking of that brief, searing kiss and the wonder that was Loki's current form.

" _If you're referring to Loki's reptilian shape, I am not only seeing it, I am recording it from multiple viewpoints,_ " Jarvis said almost primly, drawing a brief laugh from Tony. " _Sir, the presence of a dragon-like creature in the skies above New York has already been noticed, and there is some official concern._ "

"Fuck. Get SHIELD on the line, I better make sure someone knows he's a friendly before they try and shoot him out of the sky."

" _I've taken the liberty of alerting Agent Coulson, he says to let you know he's handling it, Sir._ "

"Thank fuck for that," Tony muttered, then turned his attention back to Loki, who'd opened up a considerable gap while Tony was distracted. "Catch you, huh? Let's just see about that..."

What happened next was like the most epic game of follow the leader and tag combined that Tony had even taken part in (not that he'd had much experience of either in his childhood, truthfully), chasing after Loki, Loki diving and darting and spiralling around him, scaled skin seemingly always just beyond an arm's reach from him no matter how hard he tried to catch hold of Loki. It was like a dance, or some sort of balletic chase, with Loki deftly avoiding his touch while Tony could only follow behind, reaching for him but never quite catching. And then when he finally _did_ manage to touch him, just a brush of outreached fingertips to a wing tip, Loki deftly swapped end over end and began chasing after _him_ instead – a chase that lasted considerably less time than his own before Loki tagged him with a tap of one long claw before darting away again..

For all the size of his current form, Loki moved with surprising grace and flexibility, diving and rising and side-slipping away, sometimes putting on a sudden burst of speed only to slow and circle again. The turbulence of his wings' movements was enough at times to make the suit tumble off course. It made Tony thankful he was wearing a proper liner today and not just street clothes, or he'd have been peppered with bruises anywhere the interior of the suit contacted his body.

Not that he'd care very much about a few bruises, he thought. The aerial back-and-forth of the chase was exhilarating in a way that very little he had ever done before had been. It made him think of the excitement of his first flight in the Mark II, up into the skies over Malibu, the mix of fear and elation he'd felt then. Right now he felt very little fear, despite the plainly carnivorous teeth in Loki's mouth and the fact that he looked large and strong enough to pluck Tony's suit apart in much the same way that his eagle form had dealt with the chicken earlier. Excitement... that he was feeling in spades, not just emotionally but physically as well, blood pooling in his groin enough to make the slight movement of the undersuit against his skin a teasing pleasure as he arced and twisted to follow or dodge Loki. Loki was right – he _loved_ flying in the suit. The speed, the danger, the thrill of it...

He was feeling tired and sweat-soaked by the time Loki broke off the game, the direction of his outstretched neck, intent focus and straight-line flight making it clear that he intended to return to the tower. Tony zoomed along in his wake. "Jarvis...," he said worriedly as it became obvious to him that Loki was aiming, not for any of the upper balconies or the roof, but directly towards the doors by which they'd exited earlier.

" _I see it Sir_ ," Jarvis said steadily, the doors snapping open even as Loki twisted, backwinging strongly as his legs swung forward and down toward the peeler's walkway, his form shrinking abruptly at what seemed the last possible moment so that it was in human form that he touched down and ran through the open doors, his forward momentum too much to allow him to stop. Tony swore, worriedly, and flew in behind him, not bothering to touch down and walk in.

He found Loki sitting halfway down the curving staircase, back against the wall and laughing, skinned knees raised before him, a joyous expression on his face. "Tony!" he called. "That was _magnificent_."

"That was pretty damn fun," Tony agreed. "You all right?" He frowned at the bleeding scrapes on Loki's bare flesh, showing with what force he must have slammed into the rough-surfaced curving wall before managing to bring himself to a stop.

"Fine, fine, just scratches. Get out of that ridiculous armour," he said, levering himself to his feet and giving Tony a heated look. "I have designs on your flesh, if that is acceptable?"

Tony swallowed, suddenly dry-mouthed. "Um. Yeah, just... just give me a minute," he said, and turned around, hurrying back out to the end of the platform and then walking back towards the doors at a normal pace as Jarvis' arms expertly removed the components of the suit, leaving him in just the liner by the time he re-entered the doors.

Loki had moved down the stairs to the bar, and was pouring a pair of drinks, one the black satin sheets that Tony and Darcy had used the night before wrapped toga-style around himself. He gave Tony a smouldering head-to-toe look as he handed over one of the two glasses, his gaze lingering for a moment on where the thick fabric of the liner failed to hide the bulge of Tony's partial erection, then tossed back his own before pouring himself another. "Bedroom, now," he said, and turned and walked off toward the stairs up to the next floor.

"Right," Tony said, took a large gulp of his drink, then abandoned it on the bar. "You're, errr... not worried about suddenly turning back into an animal?" he asked as he followed.

Loki glanced back over his shoulder, a somewhat unsettling grin flashing across his face for a moment. "The spell is no more," he said, and reached up to touch a finger to the faceted bead strung around his neck. "I am fully in control of myself."

Tony slowed and stopped, frowning, and reached up to feel the smooth bead still strung around his own neck. "Should I be worried?"

Loki stopped on the stairs, and turned to look back at him. "No. This is still likely the safest place I could be, outside of Asgard itself. Nor do I wish you or any others here harm. Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah, coming," Tony agreed and followed him upstairs. He still wanted to talk more about this whole spell-breaking thing but... later. It could wait.

Loki was sprawled on his back on the bed by the time Tony caught up to him. leaning up on his elbows, still wrapped in the black satin sheet. The contrast between it, the red sheets on the bed, and Loki's creamy skin was enough to make his cock twitch and his fingers curl, wanting to touch. Judging by the look in Loki's green eyes, he was well aware of the visual effect he presented, a knowing smirk twisting his lips for a moment before he lifted his chin, expression shifting to one of challenge. "One of us is overdressed for this occasion."

Tony grinned briefly. "I would guess that's me," he said, and started getting himself out of the undersuit, very aware of Loki watching him as he undid zippers and sections of velcro, getting himself out of the skin-tight liner. He'd been half-hard before he even started; by the time he was able to shuck the leggings down and free himself, he was closer to fully hard. The look Loki was giving him could only be described as anticipatory, in much the way of a cat interesting eyeing prey. He took a moment to hang the liner up in its special cabinet – where Jarvis had specialized remotes that could clean and repair it as needed – before skinning out of his briefs and walking over to stand beside the bed where Loki was lounging watching him.

"Now who's the one that's overdressed?" Tony asked, voice husky, before crawling onto the bed beside Loki, reaching to tug at the satin sheet.

Loki smirked, and lay down, shifting his position only just enough to allow Tony to unwrap and fold back the sheet, revealing his naked flesh. "Like unwrapping a present, is it not?" he asked smugly.

Tony snorted, then leaned down to brush a light kiss over his lips. "A little, I guess," he said, then sat back on his heels for a moment, giving Loki a frankly lascivious look from head to toes, noting that Loki's cock was just as rigid as his own. "And all for me?"

Loki smirked again. "Perhaps. Or perhaps you are all for me," he said, and reached out to tug on Tony's arm and then, once he was in reach, to cup his hand around the back of Tony's neck and pull him downwards into another kiss. Tony braced himself on one arm to hover over the taller man.

This one was not a light kiss, Loki's lip pressing hard against Tony's, demandingly, until Tony moaned in pleasure, his mouth dropping over. Loki made a pleased sound, his tongue licking into Tony's mouth briefly, before he sucked Tony's lower lip into his own mouth, nibbling at it as his other hand rose to grip Tony's shoulder, tugging him downwards. Tony only resisted a moment before lowering himself down on top of him, more interested in continuing the kiss than anything else at the moment. Loki made a humming noise, his hands shifting from neck and shoulder to flatten against Tony's upper back, then drift downwards in a slow caress. Tony gasped as Loki's hands tightened on his ass, tugging him close against the other man, and lifted his own hands to cup either side of Loki's head, thumbs caressing against Loki's cheekbones as he kissed him heatedly.

Loki made a sound that Tony could only think of as a growl, hands flexing again on Tony's ass, long fingers digging into his flesh. "Ow," Tony said against Loki's mouth, not breaking off the kiss. Loki made a snorting sound of amusement, and flexed his fingers again as he rolled his hips, pressing their erections together, driving groaning sounds from both of them. For a minute they just rutted together, skin sliding roughly against skin, hands gripping tightly, breaking off kissing to gasp for air.

"Not... not gonna last long at this rate," Tony managed to say, then moaned and pressed his head against Loki's shoulder as Loki thrust against him again.

"Lasting is not necessary," Loki said breathlessly.

"But I want it to."

"Why? We shall have more than one opportunity for this," Loki said, and twisted his head around so that he could nip at Tony's ear, drawing a surprised yelp from him. "Or do you think I will be _satisfied_ with just one brief tryst? I want more than that, Tony... so very much more."

Loki wrapped his arms around Tony and rolled, flipping them over so that he was on top, between Tony's legs, more of his weight pressing against Tony as he ground downwards. "Come for me," he ordered.

Tony shuddered, but shook his head and grinned savagely at him. "I'm not that easy," he rasped out, as he slid his own arms around Loki's waist, holding him close.

"Are you not?" Loki asked, then lowered his head and bit at Tony again, not just a nip but a bruisingly hard bite on the curve of Tony's shoulder, while rolling his hips again.

Tony shouted and came, blood roaring in his ears and vision whiting out for a moment as his spend pulsed out between them, his fingers digging hard into Loki's back. Loki arced back for a moment and made a hoarse noise, hips jerking erratically, his own seed spurting out to become a part of the wet mess smeared between them. As the aftershocks of their orgasms faded he flopped down limply over top of Tony, both of them panting from exertion.

Loki lifted his head after a minute, and grinned at Tony, looking more than a little smug. "That was adequately enjoyable."

"Adequately? _Only_ adequate?" Tony exclaimed in mock offense.

Loki gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Adequate for a first attempt. I am sure our second will be much more enjoyable... and last rather longer, the edge having been taken off already."

Tony snorted. "You're assuming I can go again within a reasonable period of time. Sadly I am forced to admit that I'm not as young as I used to be. Also, between the flying and the sex, I am feeling in need of a nap, food, and a shower, not necessarily in that order. Also, for such a skinny guy? You're heavier than you look."

Loki laughed, and pushed himself up and to the side, falling onto his back beside Tony. He dragged his fingers through the sticky mess on his stomach, and held them up, giving them a thoughtful look, then picked up a corner of the satin sheet to wipe them clean on. "We could both use a shower," he agreed. "After which I propose food, my demonstrating that I can make you feel young enough after all, and then a nap."

Tony chuckled, and sat up. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed. "Shower together?"

"Why not," Loki said, and rolled to his feet. "Maybe I'll get a head start on making you feel younger," he added over his shoulder as he headed towards the bathroom.

"I'm not going to object," Tony said, and followed.


	46. Damage Control

Natasha set the tray down on the coffee table, then sat down beside Clint, reaching out to touch his wrist for a moment before pouring tea for herself. Clint gave her a lopsided smile, and picked up the carafe of coffee to serve himself and Phil, while Phil leaned over to snag himself one of the pastries. He smiled at Clint. "You cooked?" he asked, sounding pleased, and took a bite.

Clint made a dismissive gesture. "That's not real cooking, it was all pre-made, like canned filling and stuff."

"You made the dough," Natasha pointed out.

"From a mix."

"You cooked," Phil told him firmly. "It's good."

Clint looked away for a moment. Natasha knew he was sensitive about his lack of domestic skills; he'd spent very little of his life living anywhere where such skills had been needed. About the only household skill he'd ever really learned had been cleaning; there's been chores at the group home, and mucking out at the circus. After that... the years since had been spent living mostly out of motels, hotels, and cheap rented rooms, eating mostly at diners and chain restaurants and cafeterias. He'd never bothered getting a place of his own, even when he was making a good enough salary to afford one, instead just living out of SHIELD staff quarters wherever he happened to be posted, at least until now.

Now he had a whole floor of the Tower to himself, and rattled around in it. And at almost forty years of age was attempting to learn how to do his own laundry without bleaching holes in his undies, and (occasionally) trying to cook. He could easily have just left it all to Jarvis' remotes and the services that Tony kept on retainer, but Clint had decided that having a place off his own at least meant that he should handle it himself. A feeling Natasha could sympathize with, remembering how both frightening and liberating it had been when she'd first moved into a place of her own, the little condo that was all hers, not a safehouse, not part of a cover, not owned by or found by or supplied by someone else, but _hers_. And still hers, despite her having taken up residence in the tower; the tower was a place to live, but her condo was home.

Phil ate another bite of his pastry, and sipped his coffee, before looking questioningly at Clint. "So what's this about a staring contest with an eagle?" he asked.

Clint grimaced, and set down his own half-eaten pastry. "There was no contest," he said, wrapping both hands around his coffee mug and hunching down a little in his seat. Phil and Natasha both sat quietly, watching him, until he finally sighed and straightened, taking a gulp of his coffee before continuing. "I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I mean, it's _Loki_ , we know just what a bag of cats he is. I thought it was kind of funny at first, him being stuck as an animal. I guess I started to let my guard down a little around him, think of him as what he looked like... fuck, you know I _liked_ looking after him when he was a horse, right? And he's been pretty friendly and... and _benign_ in most of his forms so far. Puppies and kittens, right? Except not all the time. I keep thinking about him being things like that fucking sabre-toothed tiger. And snakes... pure luck that he stayed non-venomous, jesus."

He inhaled another mouthful of coffee, then set the nearly-empty cup down hard enough to rattle the tray, wrapping his arms around himself and looking disturbed now. "Puppies and kittens, until the adorably cute harmless-looking kitten turned into a sleeping psychopath. Except even when he's a fluffy Pomeranian he's still that same psychopath inside, isn't he? The same fucking guy who messed with my head and drove Selvig around the bend and... and..."

He broke off, shaking his head, arms tightening around himself. Natasha set down her teacup and slid closer to him, letting her leg press against his, and draped her arm across his back. Clint stiffened for a moment, then abruptly turned and slumped against her, hiding his face against her neck.

"I hate him _so much_ , but we're stuck living with him," he said, voice slightly muffled, then made a brief strangled sound. " _Tony_ clearly thinks it's just fine."

"And we all know what a paragon of excellent decision-making Stark is," Phil said dryly, then picked up the carafe and topped up both his and Clint's mugs.

Clint laughed, and turned his head sideways to smile shakily at Phil. "Okay, he actually hasn't done too badly over the last couple of years."

"Bar little things like trying to cover up the fact he was dying from palladium poisoning," Natasha pointed out. "And that whole mess with the Mandarin that led to Pepper leaving him. And..."

Clint snorted. "He sucks at his personal life, doesn't he. But as Iron Man? He's kind of kick-ass. Though never let him know I said that, this includes you Jarvis," he said, glancing ceiling-wards as they almost all had a tendency to do when talking to Jarvis, in lieu of any other more applicable direction.

" _My lips are sealed_ ," Jarvis said, sounding amused.

"He does seem to be somewhat better at making decisions when his personal life isn't involved," Phil agreed, then frowned and sat back in his wheelchair. "Though that does rather beg the question of whether or not any decision-making he's doing in relation to Loki is personal or not. They do appear to have become... rather attached, over the last few weeks."

"I'd say near inseparable," Natasha said, toying with her empty tea cup for a moment. "They share a bed," she added, voice carefully neutral.

" _What!?_ " Clint exclaimed.

"Platonically, as far as I know," Natasha said. "But Loki sleeps on Tony's bed most times when he does sleep – the kitten incident notwithstanding – and when he's sleeping, he's, well..."

"Human," Phil supplied. "Or at least a form sufficiently human-like that we might as well use the word, though humanoid would technically be a more accurate term."

"You are such a geek, Sir," Clint said, straightening up and flashing a brief smile at Phil before turning back to Natasha. "That is both creepy as fuck and kind of hot, that Tony shares his bed with a naked Norse god."

"It would be hotter if it was Thor, or at least less creepy," Natasha said, grinning for a moment as she poured herself a fresh cup of tea.

"Ewww!"

"Oh please, tell me your mind didn't go there anyway the moment you said naked Norse god."

"Yuck," Clint said, making a face.

"That's not a no," Phil pointed out, sounding amused.

"Lalalalala _I can't hear you_." Clint chanted loudly, then picked up his pastry and took another big bite, talking as he chewed. "Back on subject. Tony. Loki. Especially Loki. Bag of cats. _Untrustworthy_."

"Agreed," Phil said, then shrugged slightly. "Though not... maybe not as bad as he used to be."

"Seconded," Natasha said.

"What!?" Clint exclaimed again, giving her a surprised look.

"No, really. You've been avoiding him so you're not as up to date on what's been going on with him lately, I think. The dependency goes both ways with those two; not only does Tony prefer keeping Loki close at hand, but Loki prefers being close to him. There's been... developments."

"Developments?" Clint asked suspiciously.

"Developments," Phil said firmly. "Jarvis, could you show the recording from the evening Loki was here, and the test Bruce ran the next day, please."

" _Of course_ ," Jarvis said, and played back the recordings showing both Loki's trip from Phil's quarters to Tony's bedroom, and later from Tony's apartment down to the lab.

"Creepy," Clint said when they were finished.

"But intriguing," Phil pointed out. "Especially given Bruce's theory that part of why it happened is that Loki _wanted_ to be with Tony; not just because of the spell binding them, but because of a real connection forming between the pair of them."

"Don't forget that Bruce and Tony also believe that the forms Loki takes affect the way he reacts to people," Natasha added. "He started out in very feral shapes, but then switched to mainly domesticated animals; given how much friendlier he's reacted to us since, I think they may be onto something with the idea."

"He certainly received a lot of positive reinforcement whenever he was in a less threatening and overtly friendly form," Phil agreed. "Being groomed, taken on walks, petted, cuddled..."

"Being touched in a positive fashion, being accepted, can be a surprisingly strong motivator for behavioural change when it's something you haven't had much prior experience of," Natasha said carefully.

Clint gave her a look at that, knowing as much about her past as he did. She looked calmly back at him, knowing what she knew of his own. The statement was about equally applicable to both of them, in her admittedly biased opinion.

"Can't argue with that," he finally said, slowly. "But... I don't know. Even if he is changing, _really_ changing, not just some temporary fluke... does that make up for what he did before? For the people he harmed? The people he killed, directly or indirectly?"

"Nobody can ever really make up for things like that," Natasha said. "We can only try to atone for it; to offset the red in our ledgers by drowning it in ink of a better colour. And even then, the red is still there and is just as red, each individual act that led to it is just as terrible. You can't erase it; you can't make it better. You can't trade good deeds for bad, claim that saving x number of people makes it okay to have harmed some number of others."

"Save three, kill one free," Phil said, and snorted, then leaned back in his chair, looking back and forth between the two of them. "None of us here have clean hands."

"But at least most of us were victims ourselves," Clint said. "Brainwashed, or..."

"You were a mercenary for a while, an assassin for hire," Natasha interrupted him. "So was I, for a while, after I first left the Red Room. Phil... I suppose might have marginally cleaner hands than either of us. You were a Ranger before joining SHIELD, yes?"

"Yes," Phil said, and frowned thoughtfully as he selected another pastry. "I don't believe that killing in my country's service gives me hands that are technically any cleaner than either of yours. It's still killing. I can only hope that most of the people whose deaths I've been directly or indirectly responsible for have made the earth a slightly better place by their absence from it."

"That might be the difference," Clint said. "Loki killed pretty indiscriminately. We didn't."

"Did he?" Natasha said. "Kill indiscriminately, I mean."

"God, Natasha, you know what the kill-count was up to even before the helicarrier, I've seen the video of that little discussion with Thor..."

"Except that almost all those initial deaths were collateral damage to the collapse of the New Mexico facility; arguably blameable on Loki but we don't actually know if he even knew that would happen when he gated in via the tesseract. Most of his actual attacks were very focused; aimed at people who were actively trying to kill him; at guards, SHIELD personnel, and the like. Very discriminate attacks, if anything."

" _Alien fucking invasion_ of New York, Nat!"

" _If I might interrupt_ ," Jarvis interjected. " _There is some evidence that the invasion would have occurred whether or not Loki was involved; that he was actively sabotaging its chances of success._ "

Clint fell silent a moment. "What?" he finally said, sounding stunned.

"Loki has been talking to Tony for a while now, with Jarvis' help with communication," Phil explained. "He had a long chat with Steve the other day as well, which Natasha and I monitored, during which he explained more about how the chitauri invasion went down from his point of view, as well as giving us useful information about the chitauri and their forces."

"So he fed Tony and Steve a pack of lies..."

"No," Natasha said, shaking her head. "I don't believe he was lying. It... made too much sense, of things that hadn't made much sense before. Explained some of the oddities about the whole debacle "

"He may have been as much a victim as you were, Clint," Phil said quietly. "According to his story, he was captured, held, tortured, brainwashed and threatened, and then released on us as the figurehead of the chitauri invasion."

Clint frowned and hunched up in his seat. "What, so just because he claims he has an excuse..." He broke off, and shook his head. "There are people who say that about me, isn't there."

"You know there are, Clint," Natasha said softly.

"So I basically have a choice between having really sketchy double standards on brainwashing or acting like that... that _asshat_ isn't as big of a bastard as I know he is."

"We all know it's not that simple," Phil said, and manoeuvred his wheelchair closer, to where he could reach out and rest a hand on Clint's soldier, squeezing it reassuringly. "He may have been a victim too, but that doesn't whitewash his character or magically erase the many terrible things he's done. Explain some of them, yes, but excuse them? Never. Right now... right now, he's co-operating with us, and has given us important information about the people who were actually behind the invasion. People who may still have an interest in earth, may still be a danger to us – and yes, to him as well. His recent honesty has some definite self-serving motivations."

" _Perhaps it might help if Agent Barton viewed the information for himself? Both the written summary and any of the video recordings that I am authorized to share_ ," Jarvis suggested in a carefully disinterested tone of voice.

"I... yeah, that would be good. I'd prefer to be in the loop on this stuff anyway, even if he makes my skin crawl. I'll need some time to think on it, after." he said, then abruptly rose to his feet. "I'm going back to my own floor."

Natasha looked up at him. "Would you like some company while you look over the material?"

"Yeah. Yeah, please," Clint said, and nodded to Phil before stepping past his chair and heading off to the elevators. Phil gave a tiny nod to Natasha as she rose and followed after him.

* * *

Phil was just putting the last of the saucers into the small dishwasher in his kitchen when Jarvis suddenly spoke up. " _Agent Coulson, if I might have your attention, there is a developing situation that requires your intervention_ ," he said.

Before Phil could ask what he meant, the TV at one end of the room – Phil liked to have something to ignore while he was cooking – turned itself on, the image on the screen coming from a viewpoint that Phil assumed was from one of the many cameras mounted on the exterior of the tower. Two forms were flying around over the skyline of New York, a small red and gold one and a considerably larger green, black and gold one.

"Is that... is that Iron Man chasing a _dragon!?_ Wait... is that Loki? Is he trying to escape..."

" _It is indeed Loki, but he is not attempting escape. Sir and he went flying together. Unfortunately his current form is drawing some unwanted attention_ ," Jarvis said, and played back some of the more panic-stricken reactions he'd apparently picked up on various official channels.

Phil straightened up in his chair, dropping into work mode immediately. "Get me SHIELD on the line, first of all," he said sharply.

In fairly short order he had the immediate danger to the flying pair sorted out, the air force and other less official parties notified that the dragon-like creature was a friendly entity – Loki's name having been carefully omitted from all conversations, though Phil didn't doubt that the upper echelons at SHIELD, at least, had made an accurate guess as to the entity's identity. He watched the rather breathtaking flight, and wasn't in the least surprised to hear from Jarvis that cell phone camera footage of the event was trending rapidly. He could only be relieved that the pair was mainly staying too high and moving too fast for any decent shots of them to be taken, though doubtless various news organizations were hurrying camera crews to suitable vantages.

There would need to be a statement, of course... some kind of cover story to explain Iron Man zooming around in the sky with what could only be characterized as a dragon. His lips twisted into a brief smirk as he thought of the easiest and most obvious answer; that the dragon was a visitor from elsewhere, a guest of Thor's currently visiting earth, and staying at the tower. Which had the benefit of mixing in some degree of truth with a generous helping of misdirection. He already had the press release half worded in his head by the time the pair finally returned to the tower.

He frowned as he watched Loki land, transforming to a smaller human only just in time to re-enter the tower instead of slamming into it, though thankfully between the wings, the abrupt size change, and the cloud of wind-blown hair, not to mention how quickly he was moving, even a frame-by-frame view of the landing was unlikely to catch a usable likeness of him. Though that he was changing form seemingly at will was... likely not a good development. He didn't at all like what it suggested about the continued hold of the binding spell on Loki.

"Let me know when Tony is free for a conversation with me about his... little aerial escapades today. And notify him of the need for at least a press release later today, and possibly a full press conference."

" _Of course, Agent Coulson. It will likely be some little time until he is free; Sir is a little tired out from the flight and requires some time to rest and refresh himself._ "

"Of course he does," Phil said flatly, and set to work on damage control.


	47. What Monstrosity

Loki dropped the damp towel to the floor and stretched luxuriously, enjoying the faint ache of overused muscles. The activities he and Tony had gotten up to in first the bed and then the shower had been relatively benign exertions as such things went, but it had been a very long time since he'd last indulged in any such; since before he'd fallen from Asgard. And the flight before that, ahhh, the _flight_. That had been a great deal of muscle-straining exercise indeed; he'd been delighted by Tony's ability to keep up with him, to make the dance weave back and forth between them as it was properly meant to.

He could only smile, contrasting the difference in partners between the last time he'd taken dragon form for such a dance, and this. The black dragon, against whose eon's long life even Loki was but a mayfly, and humans the mere blink of an eye; rich in magic, and grudgingly willing to share some small part of his arcane knowledge with Loki. He had stayed in dragon-form for most of a century, learning what crumbs of learning the black dragon was willing to let fall from his scaled lips. They had flown together more than once during their time together, Loki's skill in the bedchamber following such mating flights as much responsible for the old dragon's willingness to share his knowledge as anything else. Though an ancient grudge the scaled beast had against the Aesir had doubtless helped some little too.

Compared to _his_ might and size, Tony would strike most people as laughably tiny and weak, an unlikely being to consider any sort of match for the last dragon in the nine realms. And yet... Loki saw them as equally powerful in their own ways, including in the extent of their intellects and the size of their egos. A pity the black dragon was long gone, vanished off into the void between worlds for purposes of his own; he would have delighted in seeing a meeting of the two, whether it led to enmity or friendship it would doubtless have been an epic intersection of lives.

He wondered what monstrosity his enemies would blame on Tony, if they ever learned of the closeness he had come to share with the human. They claimed Jörmungandr to be the result of his matings with the black dragon, after all. He'd acquired the egg from the dragon, it was true, but as a parting gift from one sorceror to another, a curiosity the dragon had come across and had no interest in himself, not the result of any breeding of either of their bodies. Farbeit for the gossips to believe the simple explanation when they could opt for a wickedly salacious one instead.

He flopped face-down onto the bed, folding his arms and resting his chin on them, and wondered what sort of creature the gossips would think he might breed within himself from a mating with the Man of Iron. A golem of some kind, perhaps, some monstrous metallic re-imagining of the suits of near-sentient armour that Tony wore into battle. He grinned briefly, imagining such a creature.

"You're in a good mood," Tony observed as he came out of the bathroom, towelling his own hair dry.

Loki grinned and rolled over on his back, letting the towel around his hips drop open, and gave Tony a heated look. "I have good reason to be. Perhaps even better soon, of you can be persuaded again of your youth."

Tony made a groaning sound, and shook his head. "As much as I'd love to go for a threepeat, I meant what I said earlier about needing food, a shower, and a nap. And in this case the shower only made it worse. Not that I regret the shower _at all_ , that was pretty damned nice, but... _food_. Food and a rest. Come on, get up and get dressed, I'm sure you could use a cheeseburger or something too."

Loki snorted, but rolled to his feet, leaving the towel behind and well aware of Tony's eyes following him as he went in search of something to wear. There was not much of Tony's that he could actually wear, being rather longer in both leg and body, but he found clean underwear, a pair of almost knee-length light brown shorts, and a long-bodied black tshirt that would do to at least adequately clothe him. Not as well-dressed as he might prefer, but he did not feel like wasting any of his rapidly returning magic on adjusting his apparel at the moment.

Tony had dressed as well, in well-worn but clean jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt partially open over a pale blue muscle-shirt. Loki gave him an appreciative look, before moving closer to him. Even after all they had already done, Tony was clearly a little hesitant before tilting his head back, cupping his hand at the back of Loki's neck to urge him down for a kiss. A kiss that Loki was not in the least hesitant about, or to attempt to turn into something more, mouthing his way down the freshly-shaved column of Tony's throat as his hands slipped inside the outer shirt, stroking over the soft knit fabric covering pleasantly firm muscles underneath.

Tony groaned, then stepped back, gently but firmly pushing Loki away. "Food," he said again, though the huskiness of his voice and slight tenting below the waist betrayed that he was not uninterested in the proceedings.

Loki snorted and smiled. "Fine. Food, and then back to bed."

" _Rest_ ," Tony reminded him as he turned away, padding barefoot toward the door.

"You'll certainly need to afterwards, yes," Loki promised in a low voice, following him.

Tony laughed. "Is your picture in the dictionary next to the word insatiable? Because it feels like it sure should be."

"I am merely a man of large appetites," he said, then smiled thinly. "Though not as huge in appetite as Volstagg."

"Volstagg... that's one of Thor's companions, isn't it? Jane and Darcy mentioned them once..."

"The Warriors Three, yes. Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg. Volstagg is a gourmand, Fandral a philanderer and a bit of a libertine, and Hogun is... well, Hogun is Hogun, the most tolerable of the three since he at least keeps his tongue to himself instead of wagging it incessantly. There is also Sif..."

"Female warrior, right? Darcy was impressed by her."

"She is usually quite impressive," Loki agreed. "Though not a friend of mine, not any more."

Tony turned and walk backwards a couple of steps as they crossed the living room, looking questioningly at Loki. "Not any more? That implies she was, once."

"When we were younger," Loki agreed. "We were friends, she and Thor and I, being close in age and mostly raised together. She was engaged to Thor while we were still children, and later decided she wished to walk a warrior's path, which is... unusual, in a woman of Asgard. She and I happened to have a falling out several centuries ago, which we never mended, and we have been un-friends ever since."

"A falling-out?" Tony asked as they reached the kitchen.

Loki flushed. "It was a childish thing, but it is something she is reminded of every time she looks in a mirror, so she has never forgiven me for it. I doubt she ever will."

"What do you feel like eating?" Tony asked as he looked at the contents of his fridge. "I could nuke some pizza pockets, or there's some frozen waffles..."

Loki snorted. "Sit down. I'll cook something," he ordered.

"You cook?" Tony asked interestedly, stepping away from the fridge and moving around the counter to take a seat on one of the stools.

"Yes, I cook," Loki said, and began taking things out and setting them down on the counter nearby – eggs, cheese, ham, mushrooms, sweet red pepper, green and white onions.

"So what was this childish thing you did? You say she's reminded every time she looks in a mirror... you didn't scar her, did you?"

Loki paused in taking out a frying pan, then shrugged. "Some would say I did, though the mark is not a physical one such as you are doubtless imagining. Like many of the Aesir she had long blond hair, hair she was particularly vain about, poets wrote odes to its beauty and all that sort of romantic drivel. There was a day when I was angry with her, jealous of some praise of her skills she had received when I had not been given any like acknowledgement... I used my magic to shave her bald that night while she slept."

"Ouch," Tony said, wincing and sucking in air through his teeth. "Not good. So even though it grew back she's reminded of it every time she sees her hair?"

"Yes. Though..." he paused, hands resting on the rim of a mixing bowl for a moment. "Having been shorn by magic, it did not in fact grow back. I replaced it with enchanted dwarf-made hair, eventually, but her hair is now black as night instead of gold as wheat, as the poets would phrase it."

"Double ouch. Yeah, I can see why she might not be very forgiving about something like that. Especially if, as you say, it was a feature she'd been vain of before."

Loki nodded as he cracked eggs into the bowl. "I did not mean to make her my enemy, but my actions did so anyway. I regret it, at times, even if I sometimes think we would not have remained friends for much longer anyway. She and I have changed much since we were children together, and the woman she is now is not someone I particularly like. Admire and respect, perhaps... even desire, but like? No."

"Mmmm. I've done that," Tony said. "The making enemies I didn't mean to thing. And damn but did it ever come back and bite me hard in the ass later..."

While Loki made a large omelet for them to share, Tony spoke of a man named Killian, a company named AIM, and a sockpuppet – his word – called the Mandarin.

"Pepper decided she'd had enough when I gave out my address on TV and challenged the Mandarin to come after me directly. She broke it off and left right then and there, didn't even stop to pack any of her things first, just got in her car and left. I sometimes wonder how things might have worked out between us if she'd stayed... assuming she survived AIM's attack on the mansion. I try not to what-if that too much; mostly I'm just glad she's still alive, and happy now," Tony said, sounding a touch melancholy.

"She is due to visit again soon, isn't she?" Loki asked as he slid onto a stool beside Tony, placing plates down before both both of them, with buttered toast and a half each of the well-stuffed omelet.

"Yeah, she is... she tries to make it out here to the New York offices once a month; she likes the personal touch and keeping in contact with key team members on at least an occasional face-to-face basis and all that sort of thing, though most of what she does she could just stay in California and handle electronically."

"And do you make a point of reminding her of this?" Loki asked curiously, glancing sideways at Tony.

"No. Because I like having occasional face-to-face time with Pepper too."

Loki smiled slightly as he cut a bite of omelet free. "Understandable, I suppose."

"You're, err... you're not the jealous type, are you?" Tony asked, just a touch of worry in his voice.

Loki smiled very calmly, cutting a corner of toast free and then stabbing the bite of omelet and toast together on the end of his fork. "I am, actually," he said, and then paused with the food almost at his mouth. "Though as far as I'm aware I currently have no reason to be jealous of your Ms Potts." He ate the mouthful of his food, amused as the worried look on Tony's face increased. He managed to keep a straight face until after he'd swallowed, and then laughed, laughing even harder as Tony looked first shocked, then briefly annoyed, before smiling crookedly at Loki.

"God of mischief," Tony said, sounding resigned.

"Yes. Though as I quite truthfully am the jealous type I would not recommend that you attempt dalliance with any other while still engaged in such with _me_. You would not much like the result."

"I'll keep it in mind," Tony said dryly.

" _Pardon me, Sir, I know you asked not to be interrupted, but Agent Coulson is being very insistent that he must speak with you as soon as possible. I have put him off several times already but he's reached the point of saying that he'll send Clint and Natasha to 'pry you out of your hole' if you don't speak directly to him soon. Given a choice of interrupting you or having to attempt keeping the pair of them out of your penthouse, I judged you would prefer the latter._ "

"Ah, damn... I guess he's concerned about that little aerial display he had to help with?" Tony asked, slumping a little in his seat.

" _Yes, Sir. He is arranging a press release and possible press conference to explain the appearance in the sly today of a large draconic creature, in your company._ "

"Shit. All right, tell him he can come up in fifteen minutes. I guess we're going to have to pass on that nap for now. Can you switch to animal form again once you finish eating? The eagle again I guess... or no, wait, you've never returned to a previous form yet, and it's pretty obvious that the dragon was you. Some other bird maybe?"

"Of course," Loki said, and ate the remainder of his food quickly but neatly, rising and putting the plate and cutlery away in the dishwasher, then thinking for a one moment, one hand absently smoothing the wrinkles out of his tshirt.

"Should you strip first?" Tony asked, as he rose to clean up his own dishes.

"Hmmm? Yes, I suppose so," Loki agreed, and stripped out of the clothing he had so recently dressed in, dropping it to a pile on the floor, hiding a smile at the obviously admiring look Tony gave him when he turned away from the dishwasher.

"Damn... I wish I could drag you back to bed for that third round," Tony said.

Loki smiled, and stepped over to give him a heated kiss. "Later," he promised, then concentrated and shifted form. He was smaller afterwards. Tony bent down and offered him the side of his hand to perch on, reaching out to grab the pile of abandoned clothing with the other before straightening up again.

"This bird actually looks familiar – what do we have this time, Jarvis?"

" _A green cheek conure, Sir,_ " Jarvis replied. " _He should be capable of speech in that form,_ " he added after a brief pause.

"Really? Who's a pretty boy, Loki?" Tony asked with every evidence of good humour as he carried both Loki and the clothing across the main room, in the direction of the stairs up to bedroom.

Loki nipped his finger in disgust, then launched himself to fly over to the perch which still stood by the windows, pointedly turning his back on Tony, who merely laughed and disappeared upstairs, returning a couple of minutes later without the clothing and now wearing both socks and sneakers. He went over to the bar and poured himself a drink, looking up as the elevator dinged. Coulson rolled into the room a moment later, pulling to a stop near the foot of the stairs up to the bar. "Tony," he said, then pursed his lips slightly and turned his head to look towards Loki, who had turned around on his perch to face their direction. "Loki."

"Phil," Tony said, and lifted the bottle slightly. "Drink?"

"As much as I could use one after the day this is turning out to be, no. Just a ssoft drink please."

"Ginger ale? Coke? Sprite? I have some of that IBC root beer Cap likes..."

Phil smiled thinly. "A root beer would be fine," he agreed.

Tony dug in the back of the bar fridge for a bottle, twisting off the cap before picking up his own drink and walking down the pair of steps to hand the bottle to Phil, then taking a seat on the arm of a nearby couch. "Jarvis said you're organizing a press release."

"Yes. New Yorkers are understandably concerned any time something new and potentially frightening is spotted in the skies. A dragon longer than a pair of city buses in length was pretty... obvious. Only the fact that it seemed to be playing with Iron Man rather than fighting him prevented an outright panic," Phil explained, expression remaining deadpan. "A press release at minimum seems rather required given the circumstances. Jarvis, please show Tony the proposed wording," he said, and paused to sip at his drink while Tony quickly read through the document being displayed in mid-air beside him.

"Loki? You're probably going to have an opinion on this," Tony said after reading partway through it, turning his head to look toward the bird. Loki flew over to perch on Tony's shoulder, turning his head to focus one eye on the floating text.

Phil took another sip of his root beer, then pointed with the open top of the bottle in Loki's direction. "Feel free to drop the animal impersonation," he said. Loki felt Tony's small start of surprise, and looked back and forth from the calm expression on Phil's face to the look of wide-eyed innocence Tony was (poorly) attempting to turn his way. Phil snorted, then continued. "Please. Loki left the tower as a golden eagle, and switched at some point to a dragon. Since I highly doubt he took a mid-air micro-nap to effect the change, it's obvious he's regained control of his ability to shift; the spell containing his powers is either already broken or almost so."

Loki fluttered from Tony's shoulder down to the floor, and shifted, sparing enough magic to clothe himself in a mimicry of the clothing he'd been wearing earlier, and gave Phil a toothy grin. "And this does not worry you?" he asked, curious at the man's apparent calm, while noticing the white-knuckled grip he now had on the bottle in his hands.

"Some small part of me is gibbering like a frightened monkey," Phil said dryly. "It's a part I have decades of experience in ignoring."

Loki's grin widened. "I like you," he said. And in truth he did... it was easy to be perceived as brave when one felt no real fear; to actually overcome your fear and confront the source of it, _that_ was real bravery. And this was a man who'd almost died at his hands, who still bore injury from that encounter, and yet sat before him with nothing more frightening in his hands than a bottled beverage. Doubtless in the man's hand even such a simple seeming implement was a potentially lethal weapon, he was not wielding using it as such, not did he seem likely to unless provoked.

"I don't like you," Phil replied, just as calmly. "However, I trust that if you'd intended to escape once the spell broke, that you'd have already done so. You've already explained that you have a motive to remain here; you need our... the Avengers' help. As much as I dislike you, I trust that I would dislike those after you even more, based on what you've told us as them."

"You trust me to act in my own self-interest, which currently lies here."

"Yes."

Loki gave a tiny nod, then bumped Tony with his hip so that the other man moved from the arm of the couch to the seat, and settled down on the arm himself. Phil's expression went even more dead-pan than usual as he watched Loki skimming over the document.

"A nice mix of truth and fiction," Loki said after he'd reached the end.

"The best lies are often based on the truth."

Loki shot him a brief grin. "Yes. They are," he agreed, then leaned back, stretching out one arm along the back of the couch behind Tony's head. "Would it help if I made an appearance? Not as myself, of course, but as this... hypothetical alien friend of Thor's that is visiting?"

"You can do that?" Tony asked, turning to look interestedly at him.

"It is no harder than changing to the form of an entirely different species," Loki said, making a dismissive gesture with one hand, then flipped through three quick changes; a man with his own features and current clothing but freckles, short ginger curls and a goatee much like Stark's, a lush-figured woman dressed in a form-hugging dress of green and gold with platinum blonde hair that fell smoothly to the small of his back, a dark-skinned muscular man with eyes like gold coins, before changing back to his usual Aesir form.

"Wow... I knew you could turn into a female animal, but somehow I didn't think you could be a female human as well," Tony said, looking surprised.

Loki snorted, and straightened up. "Considering how many animals there are to which the sexual characteristics we think of as 'male' and 'female' only barely apply, or fail to apply at all, I would be a poor shape-shifter indeed if I could not change the gender of my body," he pointed out.

"You'd make a poor male seahorse if you didn't have a brood pouch," Phil said.

"Exactly," Loki said approvingly. "Now... shall we decide on a form for me to take, assuming you wish me to make any sort of public appearances?"

"Can I just put in a vote for female right now?" Tony asked. "Not that I don't fully appreciate you as, well, _you_..." he said, making a vague sort of head-to-foot gesture in Loki's direction. "But given my reputation to date, there might be fewer questions asked if I'm hanging around with you in a female form than a male one. Something like that blonde bombshell maybe; the paparazzi would take one look at that and be sure they knew the reason for why I was allowing you to stay here."

Loki smiled crookedly. "Not the 'blonde bombshell'. She exists and has a name, makes an uncomfortably adept enemy, and would be quite put out for me parading around in her form. More put out than she is with me for merely existing, that is."

"Old enemy?" Phil asked, tilting his head a little to one side.

"Very old enemy, yes. She has long had designs on my... on Thor, and seeing as I was the reason for several of her plans falling through, she has a great dislike of me. Anyway, female is doable, that particular female, no."

"I think I should add 'no redheads' to the list of requirements," Tony spoke up.

"Pepper," Loki said.

"Exactly. Someone not at all like Pepper in appearance."

"I believe I can do that," Loki said dryly, then closed his eyes, thinking of pictures of women he'd seen online, particularly models, picking and choosing among features he liked, building an image in his head. A surge of magic to set it, and...

"Wow," Tony said softly.

Loki opened her eyes and rose to her feet. "You like this?" she asked as she walked over to look at herself in a mirror hung on one wall over a low table holding a few small sculptures on display. She had dark brown skin much like Heimdall's, with long black hair shaped into thin cords, caught back from her face by a large engraved brass barette held in place with a matching skewer. She wore tight-fitting dark blue jeans that emphasized the length of her legs, and a long-sleeved knit top in dark green with a deep scoop neckline. As far as the size of her above-the-waistline assets went, she'd decided that she would be better served by something like Dr Foster's comparatively small size rather than something as noticeable as Ms Lewis' more curvaceous form. Less likely to get in her way should she find herself in a fight, among other considerations. The outfit was completed by flat-soled shoes of supple black leather, and a narrow belt of the same with a brass buckle that matched the barette in her hair. She'd kept her own eye colour, and her face was more-or-less a feminine version of his usual features; she was amused by how large her eyes looked in contrast to the dark skin.

"I like this very much," Tony agreed. "Phil?"

"Loki certainly looks little like his usual self," Phil agreed. "We'll need to settle on a name for you to use."

"Hrmm... Nora, Helen, Imelda, Brunhilde, Anna, Doris, Marie..." Tony rattled off.

"Brunhilde? really?" Phil interrupted him. "Not that most of your other suggestions are any better."

"If I'm from elsewhere, I doubt I would have a common human name anyway," Loki pointed out. She thought a moment, then picked a couple of syllables from the names Tony had so far suggested. "Nari. I like the sound of it."

"Jarvis?" Tony asked.

" _There is reportedly such a name in Japanese, a girl's name said to mean 'thunder'. I also find reference to it as an Italian boy's name meaning 'cheerful' and a name of unspecified origin meaning 'gentle child'. It does not appear to be in widespread use anywhere on Earth, as far as I can see._ "

Tony laughed. "Thunder? Oh, that is perfect for a 'friend' of Thor's. Alright, Nari it is then."

Loki sniffed, but decided against making an issue of the meaning – or lack of it – of the name she'd chosen.

"Last name?" Phil asked.

"None," Loki said firmly. "Nari is all of it, as far as I'm concerned."

"We'll need to let the other Avengers know," Phil pointed out, and frowned. "Clint may be a problem. He's been feeling spooked lately, after realizing how easily he'd come to accept your presence here, given his... rather unique history with you."

"Understandable," Loki said, and peered at her reflection, then added a gold necklace, earrings, and wide cuff bracelets with the same engraved decorations as the barette and belt buckle.

"Damn, I wish I could adjust my own wardrobe as easily as that," Tony said admiringly.

"I'm summoning in the others for an immediate meeting here," Phil said, typing away at an interface he'd had Jarvis bring up for him. "We'll put out the press release as soon as that's over with. There may need to be a press conference as well; likely not until tomorrow morning, as late in the day as it already is."

"All right," Tony said, then grimaced. "I better call Pepper; she doesn't like being blind-sided by stuff if it can be avoided. Actually I'm surprised I haven't heard from her already, with this trending online like it already is."

Phil nodded. Loki took a seat nearby, while Tony vanished upstairs to make his call in privacy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to note, when I was trying to imagine a female Loki that looked nothing like either Pepper or Amora (yes, that's who the 'blonde bombshell' form was) the first image that sprang to mind was a photo I'd seen online of [Naomi Campbell from Vogue Magazine's 'Midas Touch' photoshoot for their Sept 2012 issue](http://rebloggingforscience.tumblr.com/post/31143523198), in which she was rocking a gold dress and showing off her killer cheekbones. So that, with a change in hairstyle and outfit, and features just a little closer to Tom Hiddleston, is more or less what I'm picturing Loki as looking like as Nari.
> 
>  
> 
> (Why Nari? It's one of the possible names of one of his children from the Poetic Edda (Narfi or Nari), who was slain to provide bindings to chain Loki).


	48. Distrust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, apologies for the length of time since the last update, I've been putting in a lot of time lately working on a story for the Dragon Age Big Bang. I keep telling myself I'm going to get back to a faster updating rate and then it keeps slipping back to 7-10 days anyway. Or in this case, 15. Ouch. _*Winces*_

On Phil's orders, Loki was both out of sight and returned to his usual form when the others gathered in Tony's apartment, waiting in Tony's bedroom to be summoned back downstairs at an appropriate time. Tony understood the necessity of it – having him visibly himself and there when a bunch of varyingly trigger-happy superheroes first walked in would not be a wise move – but he still found himself missing Loki's silent presence.

Bruce arrived first, with a mildly thoughtful look on his face. He glanced back and forth between Phil and Tony once, nodded to Phil, glanced once around the room, then sat beside Tony, his expression going even more neutral than usual. He'd guessed already, Tony suspected, because _genius_.

Clint and Natasha arrived on the elevator together, Clint with bedhead and the slightly confused expression of the recently-napping, a large mug of coffee cradled in his hands, though that didn't stop him from giving the room just as quick and thorough a look as Natasha did as they entered. Steve emerged from the stairwell behind them, taking a few long strides to catch up. Natasha and Clint did that silent-communication thing, after which to Tony's mild surprise Natasha exchanged some equally speaking looks with Steve, and then the three settled down on a long couch, Natasha and Steve manoeuvring Clint to the middle, the two of them framing him. Clint glanced at Steve, eyebrows raising slightly, then leaned against Natasha and sipped at his coffee, eyes flicking back and forth between the visible entrances to the room.

Phil rolled his chair forward a couple of inches, drawing all eyes to him. "Earlier this morning Tony took Loki on a flight over the city, with Loki in the form of a Golden Eagle. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, the eagle turned into a dragon, one large enough that their flight, which until then had drawn little notice, suddenly became very visible to people on the ground, and a matter of interest to security and military forces in the area."

"Fuck," Clint exclaimed, sitting upright and only just missed slopping coffee on himself. He went pale. "He's free?" Natasha and Steve both shifted closer to him, Natasha glancing rapidly around the room again, Steve sitting up more alertly and frowning.

Phil glanced at Clint, then nodded. "By all appearances and by his own admission since, the spell that was constraining him has worn off."

"Since... he's still here then?" Steve asked sharply.

"He is still here, yes," Phil said. "He has agreed to remain in our custody."

"He's planning something, some way to fuck us up," Clint said, scowling, then pointed a finger at Tony, cutting him off even as he was inhaling breath to speak. " _Don't_ say anything in his defence. You're compromised."

Tony shrugged and smiled. "Probably. But... well, Phil, you tell him, he might at least listen to you where he'll just ignore and discount me right now."

Phil nodded. "The reasons Loki has given for staying are in line with what we understand of the situation both here and on Asgard. He _does_ have ulterior motives for remaining here, largely selfish ones, but I do believe that he is currently more likely to work with us than against us. It's in his own self-interest to do so. He has agreed to further questioning by us, and to abide by whatever rules Tony and I negotiate on his behalf."

"I certainly have a few questions I'd like to ask," Steve said firmly.

Phil nodded, then looked at Clint. "Clint, would you prefer to remain, or to go elsewhere? Jarvis can provide a video feed if you'd rather not be in the same room with him."

Clint frowned, and ducked his head down slightly, chewing on his lower lip while giving the others in the room a look from under lowered brows. "Stay," he finally said.

"Jarvis, ask Loki to come on down," Tony said.

There was a very brief wait, and then Loki came into view on the stairs. He hesitated for a moment at the foot, glancing around the room at all of them. While he'd changed back to his own form, he'd retained more-or-less the same outfit he'd had on as Nari, merely disappearing most of the jewellery and the hair ornament, and changing the scoop neckline to a boat neckline. The simplicity of it left him looking oddly vulnerable; a deliberate effect, Tony was sure, and couldn't help feeling amused by the thought. Loki walked over and set down on the arm of the couch beside Tony, crossing one leg over the other and resting his hands together on his thigh, looking at Phil, Natasha and Steve in turn, then focusing briefly on Clint, who scowled back at him until he looked away, turning his attention back to Steve.

"You have questions?"

Steve nodded. "I do. I'm willing to accept Tony and Phil's assurances that you intend to stay here rather than fleeing, and don't have any plans to back-stab us, but I want to know more about your abilities, now that you've regained the use of them, and if you're willing to use them to help us."

"To fight alongside you, you mean?"

"Or at least to help defend the tower if it comes under attack again, either by your own enemies or ours, yes," Steve agreed.

Loki nodded. "I am certainly willing to assist in defence. Given the – unfriendliness? – between myself and at least one member of your group, I suspect taking a more active role might be problematic." He turned to look directly at Clint, as did everyone else in the room except Phil, who kept his attention fixed on Loki.

Clint scowled. "I have good reason to distrust Loki. And I'd note that Steve should more properly have said that Loki doesn't have _current_ plans to back-stab us. What happens when the reason for his self-interest in staying here and helping goes away?"

Loki flushed slightly. "I have more than one reason to remain here without seeking harm against any of you."

"I doubt even Tony is a good enough lay to guarantee _your_ good behaviour," Clint snapped back.

" _Hey!_ " Tony exclaimed, starting to rise to his feet only to have Loki set one hand on his shoulder and press him back down.

Loki's cheeks had flushed even darker. "I do not deny, nor am I ashamed to admit, that Tony and I are... ah, what is the Midgardian term again? Ah, yes, _in a relationship_. How spectacular he is between the sheets is for me to know and for you to merely envy," he said, then turn to look at Tony. "Whether or not you believe his skill is high enough, it is indeed another reason for me to remain here. Whatever time we can have together before events draw us apart again, I will have."

"Events?" Natasha asked, one eyebrow arching.

"If nothing else, Thor will eventually return in search of me," Loki said, glancing briefly her way. "What happens then, I cannot predict. I doubt even my mother can untangle those threads," he finished softly.

"You believe that Thor is still alive then?" Phil asked.

"The forces at the command of Thanos and The Other are terrible, but I do not believe that even they can defeat the warriors of Asgard. And Thor..." He broke off, frowning, then looked down at his folded hands. "I cannot imagine him falling to them. Once the battle is over, once Asgard is secured, he will return to take me back to my prison there."

Tony found his hands tightening into fists at the thought. As brief in length as their friendship was, as newly-developed of this deeper relationship between them, he didn't want to give it up. He didn't want to give Loki up, not as long as there was any chance of him reforming.

Which had him wondering just how realistic is was to hope that Loki _could_ reform himself, thoughts he lost himself in for several minutes, entirely loosing the thread of the conversations going on around him until a sudden rise in volume and change in tone drew his attention back just as Loki suddenly rose to his feet, an angry expression on his face.

"I cannot prove a negative," Loki was saying. "I can only prove that I have no intent to harm any of you, and will cooperate with you, by remaining here and doing so. If you chose to refuse my help because you cannot bring yourselves to trust me, that is your error, not mine."

"Like I would trust you anywhere near me in a fight..." Clint snapped, rising to his own feet as well and looking like he was ready to attack Loki right then and there.

"Enough!" Phil snapped out, rolling his chair between the two men. "Stand down, Clint. Loki, please resume your seat."

Both obeyed him, though their glares at each other made it clear that neither was happy about it.

"Clint, are you at least willing to accept Loki joining in on the defence of the tower when necessary?" Phil asked.

Clint frowned, then sighed and slumped. "Yeah, fine, what the hell... though if he ends up going all evil overlord and killing us, I am so haunting you for eternity to say I told you so."

That brought a thin smile to Phil's lips. "Duly noted," he said, and turned to look at Loki. "Is that acceptable to you as well?"

"Defending the place I currently live? I would have to be a fool to refuse," Loki said icily.

"Good. All right, I should get this press release out sooner rather than later. All of you understand the cover story for Loki's presence here?" Everyone but Clint nodded at him. "Clint?"

"Friend of Thor's, female-presenting alien, Nari, shapechanger, yadda yadda yadda," Clint grumbled. "Can I go now?"

"Yes, you can go," Phil agreed, pulling a tablet from the side pocket of his chair and frowning over it. Clint rose, shot a parting glare in Loki's direction, and hurried off, shoulders hunched.

"I'll go with him," Bruce said quietly, rising to his feet, and followed after him, catching up with him by the elevators.

Phil looked up from his tablet. "Press release has been sent. Depending on reaction to it we may need to hold a press conference tomorrow morning as well. If that happens we'll need Nari, Tony as her host, and Captain America as the head of the team on hand to field questions. Natasha, can you help Tony to rush Loki through some basic talk-to-the-press training? You're more used to handling the sort of inane questions they often ask women than Tony is."

"Of course," she agreed calmly, nodding.

"Inane questions?" Loki asked, one eyebrow rising.

"Whether or not she wears underwear under the cat suit, if she's on a special diet, things like that," Tony said, taking a Starkphone out of his pocket and navigating to You-Tube. "Here, I've queued up a playlist of some of the more spectacularly bad examples for you to watch," he said, and tried to hand it over to Loki.

Loki ignored it, looking instead at the Black Widow with an expression that could only be described as perplexed. "I don't see what your underwear or lack of it has to do with your capabilities as a warrior?"

"That's because it doesn't," Tony said, and shoved the phone in Loki's direction again. "Here, take and watch it... fifteen minutes of the Black Widowing being awesome and owning modern media."

Loki finally accepted the phone, peering curiously at the small screen. Tony reached over and upped the volume, while Natasha rose and came over to watch over Loki's shoulder, snorting softly when one of the reporters asked a particularly pointless question. Phil rolled his chair over to a spot beside Steve's seat, the two men putting their heads together and talking softly.

"These reporters are fools," Loki said, frowning at the phone. "I must speak with such as these?"

"Yes, but not one-on-one like these interviews," Natasha said. "At least not right off, and hopefully not ever. Jarvis, could you pull up some footage of some typical Avengers press conferences? Preferably ones where Tony is actually on his best behaviour."

" _Of course, Ms Romanov,_ " Jarvis said. " _May I draw your attention to your left._ "

They turned to face the flatscreen hanging on the wall nearby, where Jarvis was already displaying the start of a recent press conference.

"The Captain and I are going down to my quarters," Phil spoke up. "Loki, we'll want to talk with you more later, once Natasha and Tony are finished with you, if that would be all right?"

"Of course," Loki said, glancing at them before returning his attention to the screen.

"I'll join you when we're done here," Natasha called after them, before moving to sit beside Tony, where she had a more comfortable view of the screen.

* * *

The so-called basic training took several hours, between watching videos of past interactions the Avengers had had with reporters, and play-acting their way through several practise ones, with Natasha and Tony both taking turns at being reporters. They reviewed more interviews of various team members, pointing out verbal traps that had been laid for them, ways to answer, to seem open and friendly without giving away information you did not wish to. Much of it was skills Loki already possessed – misdirection, mostly, it being best to avoid a direct lie. Occasional mischievousness, to diffuse a situation or distract the interviewer from a line of questioning you did not wish pursued.

Natasha eventually asked to see Loki's female form, and Loki obliged, changing back to Nari, readjusting his clothes and accessories.

"Impressive," she said, walking a slow circle around him. "Even the features are changed enough that I doubt most biometrics would identify you as the same person, though I can still see parts that are recognizably you."

"The eyes, the killer cheekbones," Tony said, smirking.

Nari grinned at him briefly, then turned her attention back to Natasha. "Any changes you would suggest? Should I perhaps try to look more alien? Less?" She changed her appearance as she spoke, her dreadlocks changing to a crest of gold and black scales, then changed entirely to a look that was as average and unexceptional a human as she could make it.

Tony started laughing, while Natasha's eyes widened slightly.

"Please, not a dumpy housewife look," Tony asked. "Though the more alien one? That was _hot_."

"Stark," Natasha said quellingly, then turned back to Nari. "That depends on whether we want to emphasize your alien origins, or downplay them. Your original look is very good, though it is certainly entirely human in appearance. Do we wish to claim that it is your actual form, or a human form you've taken for our comfort? And if it's just a form, than just what is your true form? Someone will ask to see it."

"The dragon?" Tony suggested.

"Too frightening," Natasha said firmly.

Nari shrugged. "I know the forms of many races throughout the Nine Realms. I think the explanation of my having taken a human form for my stay here would seem simplest. If at some point there is an insistence on seeing my 'natural' form that it seems wise for me to give in to, I am sure I can select one that is not overly frightening to human sensibilities."

" _Pardon me, Sir, Ms Potts' plane will be landing in an hour. Do you still wish to meet it yourself?_ "

"Right, yeah, I better head out to pick up Pepper – Nari, are you fine staying here on your own? What am I saying, of course you are. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Of course, Tony," Nari said, and smiled when Tony kissed her cheek before rushing off in the direction of the elevators. She turned to look at Natasha, who had her phone out and was busy texting. "Do Agent Coulson and Captain Rogers still wish to speak with me? Now is as good a time as any."

Natasha nodded. "Let me just... yes, they're still together, though they've ended up in Steve's apartment rather than Phil's... Steve's making pizza from scratch, Phil says. Why don't you go join them there, I need to go check on Clint first."

"Of course," Nari said. "Should I go as I am, or...?"

Natasha smiled. "I'd suggest staying as Nari for now; you'll want to be entirely comfortable with the form if we have a press conference, which Phil says is currently looking likely."

Nari nodded, and the two headed for the elevators together. "I am surprised that neither you nor Phil seem anywhere near as bothered by my presence as Clint it. I nearly killed Phil, and you are close to both men."

Natasha shrugged. "I have much experience with ignoring my real feelings and presenting the mask I wish seen. And having been a monster myself, I am perhaps more inclined to allow others a second chance, if I think them likely to take it."

"And you think I am likely to do so?"

"I think you already have; you're still here," Natasha said, and smiled at her with surprising warmth. "Steve's floor – tell him to save some pizza for me, though I'll likely not be here until late, knowing Clint."

"Of course," Nari said, and stepped off the elevator, quickly making her way through the living room to the kitchen. Steve was standing at the counter, stretching out dough into thin rounds, while Coulson was seated at a table nearby, cutting up vegetables. They both looked up at his entrance.

Steve gave a low whistle, his eyebrows rising. "Wow. I want to draw you that way. It's... very different."

Nari shrugged, "I have not objected to you sketching the other forms I have changed to, I have no objections to you drawing this one either. Natasha asked me to tell you to be sure and save some pizza for her, and that she would likely be late. Is there anything I can do to help with preparations?"

"Could you give the sauce a stir?" Steve asked, nodding his head toward the stove at the far end of the kitchen. "And then if you want to help Phil with the toppings after that, there's more knives in the block over there and another cutting board in that drawer."

"Of course," Nari agreed, walking over to stir the tomato sauce simmering away in a saucepan on the stove, before fetching a knife and cutting board as indicated and sitting down in a chair near Phil. He passed her a pile of red onions to chop up before resuming work on the colourful pile of peppers in front of him.

"You had questions about my abilities?" she asked after a brief silence.

"Yes," Steve agreed. "It would help if I have at least a general idea of what you can do; as I recall from when... well, from our previous battle with you, you could create illusions, shoot bolts of energy... can you heal? Other people, I mean, I remember from reports that you were very good at healing yourself."

Just then Bruce walked into the room, and came to a stop, looking back and forth between the three of them "Sorry... Natasha said I should come here? I can go if..."

"No, this is fine, pull up a chair," Steve said, smiling warmly at him. "You were with Clint all this time? How is he?"

Bruce shrugged, taking off his glasses and wiping them clean on the tail of his shirt. "Much calmer. Also much drunker. Anything I can help with?"

"Grate cheese?" Steve suggested. "Mozzarella and parmesan are in the fridge, grater is down there, large bowls in the cupboard by the fridge."

Bruce nodded, moving to fetch the indicated ideas.

"You were asking about healing," Nari said. "I can heal others, but it requires physical contact and is a much slower process than healing damage to my own flesh, since healing myself only requires me to feed additional energy into my natural healing ability. I have also been told it is painful, by those I've done it on; I was never trained as a healer, I merely picked up a few things on my own... I don't know the magics that the healers on Asgard use for more painless healing."

"So you might be useful in an emergency but otherwise we're better off sticking to our own doctors?" Bruce asked as he sat down at the table on the other side of Phil.

"Exactly, yes," Nari agreed.

"What about those magical blasts you did; you were using that spear-staff-sceptre thing to direct them, do you require something like that to work, or can you work without one?"

Nari frowned. "Yes and no," she finally said. "I can create such effects even naked and weaponless, but a weapon helps to... to direct or focus the power. A properly enchanted weapon also increases the power. I used to have a spear I used, before... before I fell. The staff I used when I was leading the chitauri... that was supplied by The Other and his master; I would be just as happy to never encounter it again. At the moment I have no enchanted weapon, nor the materials and time required to make one, though any well-made spear or staff would at least help somewhat in directing the energies when I cast blasts of power."

"I shoot maaaaagic missile," Bruce said quietly, then smiled and gave Phil one of those under-the-eyebrows looks of his when Phil snorted at the words.

"Are you attacking the darkness, Dr Banner?" Phil asked, completely deadpan. Bruce's smile became a grin. Steve sighed, and Phil laughed, then looked his direction. "I know, you didn't get that reference. Jarvis, at some future time please explain role-playing games and show Steve the Summoner Geeks video."

" _Of course, sir. I'll add it to my little list._ "

"Back on topic," Steve said, giving the two a tolerant look before returning his attention to Nari. "So a physical weapon would help with your precision, but not with the actual power of the blasts; you can create illusions, you can heal in an emergency... what else?"

"I can shield against many magical attacks, and with sufficient warning can defend against at least some physical attacks. I am also considered skilled in hand-to-hand combat, as well as the use of spear, staff, and daggers."

"Can you fly? Like Thor does?" Bruce asked curiously.

"Yes and no. I can leap and fall distances considerably further than a human can, which can substitute for limited flight I suppose, especially in places where there are multiple surfaces to work off of. For true flight I need to shift to a form capable of it; unlike Thor I have never possessed a weapon capable of the feat."

"Leaping from surface to surface... you mean like the parkour Clint and Natasha have been training me in?" Steve asked curiously, turning away from the counter to look more fully at Nari.

"Parkour?" Nari asked.

" _Permit me_ ," Jarvis said, and started a video playing on the screen inset in the counter.

Nari rose and stepped over to watch, then nodded after a few minutes. "Yes, much like that, though with the distances I can safely leap or fall, I can work with much more wide-spread surfaces than in that video."

Steve grinned. "I'd love to see a demonstration of that on the course we have downstairs; Tony's already had to make adjustments to it because I can move faster and jump further than either Clint or Natasha can," he said, and turned back to work on stretching out more rounds of dough; they were, it appeared, making enough pizzas for everyone on the team.

They all returned to their tasks, the conversation dying for a while. Having finished chopping onions – both the reds and some large mild white ones – Nari moved on to working her way through pitting a large tub of kalamata olives, Phil first taking a moment to show her how to squash them with the flat side of her knife and then just popping the oily flesh off the pit. She looked up after a while to find Bruce having paused at grating cheese and staring at her, and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry for staring," he said, smiling shyly and looking back down and resuming his own work. "It's just so strange, to see you in that form."

"Stranger than all my other forms?" she asked, amused.

Bruce shrugged. "The other forms were different enough than your normal form that it was easy to forget that they were still... well, still _you_. This latest form is both not-you and yet still enough you that it's really setting in that every time I was looking at... at a cat or dog or snake or whatever, it was still very much you inside of it. It's a little weird, in retrospect."

Phil snorted softly. "You're not the only one feeling a little strange about it. I've bathed him and held him in my lap."

Steve laughed. "I guess we're all finding it a little weird now. I keep thinking of all the times I took you out for a walk or run, and things like that."

"Runs that I quite enjoyed, while in that form," Nari said placidly.

"Tony and I had a theory," Bruce said, and paused, then shrugged and continued speaking. "The different forms you take, when you're in a specific form you have at least some of the instincts and... needs, desires, wants, as that animal, correct?"

Nari nodded. "Of course. Such shape-changing is much more than mere illusion; you should know from your own shape-change that the form taken affects the mind within. When I become a beast, I _am_ that beast, though I am also practised enough at it to keep my mind largely my own."

Bruce looked up and blinked at her, lost in thought for a moment, then flushed and turned his attention back to the cheese. "Are you suggesting that with more practise...?"

"That you would retain more awareness and control? Perhaps. Though it is always hardest to maintain awareness and control when switching to a form that is intelligent in its own right. I can maintain my sense of self far easier as a dog than as a dragon."

Phil looked up at that. "The dragon is an intelligent form then?"

"Oh yes. Very much so. Though their race has diminished; to the best of my knowledge there is only one true dragon remaining, and he has not been seen in centuries. Though I sometimes got the impression..." She trailed off, pausing in her work for a moment, then shrugged and resumed pitting olives. "He rarely spoke of other dragons at all, but on the few occasions he did, it wasn't in the past tense. Perhaps they have merely gone elsewhere, not died out as most beings of the Nine Realms believe."

Bruce looked up again. "That sounds like something from Discworld," he said thoughtfully.

Phil glanced his way, smiling slightly. "I believe that was ' _Guards, Guards!_ ', where there was the dimension that was nothing but dragons."

"Dragons all the way down," Steve agreed, glancing at them all and smiling.

"You've read the Discworld books?" Phil asked, looking both surprised and pleased.

"They were among the things that Jarvis put on my essential reading list," Steve said. "I liked them. A lot."

"Jarvis, you have excellent taste in popular culture," Phil said approvingly.

" _I do try, Agent Coulson_ ," Jarvis said, sounding smug.

"Getting back on topic yet again, does that mean that holding this shape is hard to do?" Steve asked, gesturing at Nari.

"No. The closer a shape is to one's natural one, the easier it is to hold. Something like the dragon is difficult because it is both naturally intelligent and significantly different in shape, size, and abilities than my natural form. Holding a humanoid shape of similar size and abilities is simpler than breathing. It's like... it's like the difference between wearing makeup and wearing a full-body articulated costume."

"You don't have to think about the make-up, it's just there, while the costume requires awareness and effort?" Phil asked.

"Exactly. I have, to extend the metaphor, spent almost my entire life in makeup; I can hold a humanoid shape without conscious thought, in battle, even when knocked unconscious, unless all of my powers are drained."

"Your entire life?" Bruce asked, frowning.

Nari frowned. She hadn't meant to speak of this. "Thor has told you I am adopted, yes?" she finally said.

"He has," Steve agreed.

"I am not one of the Aesir. Odin found me as an infant, at the end of the war on Jotunheim. I am a frost giant; a pitifully weak and undersized one, by their standards, hence why I was exposed to die. Odin found me, claimed me, took me away... and by his own magics activated my fledgling talent for shape-shifting, putting me into a form more acceptable to his people. It was not until shortly before Thor fell to earth that I learned that I was not actually of the Aesir; that my entire life had been a lie."

All three men had abandoned their tasks to stare at her. Nari lifted her chin, then on impulse switched back to Loki. "This is no more my native shape than Nari is," he said, then focused his attention back on his task, keeping his voice even with some effort. "Have no fear that I cannot maintain the disguise as long as is needed, no matter the circumstances; I have spent all of my life doing it already, without even knowing that I was."

A long silence fell. Loki kept his eyes on the work of his hands, not wanting to look up and see whatever emotions might be showing in their eyes.


	49. Professional Behaviour

Tony followed Pepper onto the elevator, pulling her rolling carry-on bag behind him. "Where's Loki, Jarvis?" he asked. "And what form is he currently in?"

" _He is currently on Captain Rogers' floor, Sir, in his male form. Shall I take you there? Welcome home, Ms Potts._ "

"Thank you, Jarvis," Pepper said, smiling warmly toward where she knew one of his cameras was.

"Yes, Steve's floor is fine," Tony said, and smiled nervously at Pepper. "You're sure you're fine with meeting him this way? As himself?"

"Yes Tony, it's fine. Unlike you, I haven't had any up-close and personal bad experiences with Loki. Any dislike or distrust I might feel towards him is because of his previous actions. Anyway, he seemed fine when I was here before."

"He was a _dog_ when you were here before."

"A perfectly well-behaved dog that all of you were clearly comfortable with. I will be fine, Tony."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

The elevator slowed to a stop, the doors opening onto Steve's floor. Tony was mildly surprised to find almost the entire team gathered there, everyone but Clint. Phil was sitting in front of the elevator, a couple of pizzas resting on a tray balanced on a folded towel in his lap. A smile lit his face as he saw the pair of them.

"Phil!" Pepper exclaimed happily, stepping off the elevator to bend down and hug him. "You're looking well."

He hugged her back. "You're looking lovely as always, Pepper."

"What's the word on the possible press conference?"

"It's a certainty at this point. I'm sorry you've had to come all the way for New York for this..."

"It's no problem, really, I was due to be out here soon anyway, I just moved my schedule up."

"Well, I'm glad you could make it. Tony's always less likely to misbehave when you're on hand," he said, giving Tony a tolerant smile. "Anyway, I better get going – Clint's downstairs on his own."

Pepper nodded and stepped aside. Phil nodded to Tony as he rolled onto the elevator and spun his chair around. "See you in the morning, Tony. Press conference is scheduled for 10:30am."

Tony nodded. "Right. I'll be there with bells on."

"Hopefully not literally," Phil said with an amused smile as the doors slid shut.

Tony grinned and continued further into the living room, where Pepper was currently being enveloped in a hug by Natasha, Steve standing behind her waiting his turn. Bruce was sitting on one end of the couch, looking very relaxed and eating pizza, Loki at the other end looking very tense but doing the same. Or at least had been, judging by the partially eaten slice on the plate in his lap. Loki glanced at Tony, and gave him a thin smile, then returned his attention to watching Pepper being greeted by the others, looking uneasy.

She stepped away from having leaned down to kiss Bruce's cheek, and took the couple of steps over to stand near where Loki was seated. "Loki."

"Ms Potts," he said, and balanced his plate on the arm of the couch before rising smoothly to his feet. "A pleasure to meet you again."

Pepper smiled calmly, looking up at him, then offered her hand. "A pleasure," she said agreeably.

Loki took her hand, started to bow over it and then remembered the human custom, changing it to a shake before releasing it, darting a look at Tony as he straightened up again.

"There enough pizza for Pepper and I? I haven't eaten supper yet and she's only had airplane food... granted StarkJet airplane food so actually pretty good, but...?" Tony asked.

Pepper darted a smiled his way. "I could eat," she agreed.

"Plenty for all," Steve said, gesturing at the array of pizzas set out on the large coffee table nearby, along with a couple of unused plates and a pile of napkins. Tony and Pepper quickly set themselves up with some pizza and took seats, Tony between Loki and Bruce, and Pepper settling down in a nearby armchair.

"Tony mentioned on the drive over that you had a female form you'd chosen to use as your public persona while you're here?" Pepper asked, looking curiously at Loki.

"Yes," he said, and glanced again in Tony's direction before shifting to it.

"Oh my," Pepper said, and smiled. "Striking... the press will have little difficulty in believing that Tony is entirely happy to host you, Loki."

"Pepper!" Tony exclaimed, glaring at her, and getting a smile from her in return. "Okay, fine, good point," he said grumpily.

Nari glanced at him again, but with a smirk on her face this time. "He does seem to have quite the reputation as a ladies' man," she agreed.

"Remember that in this form, she's Nari, not Loki," Bruce spoke up, directing his words to Pepper.

"Right," she agreed. "We'll have to see what we can do to make your presence here seem as unremarkable and unobjectionable as possible. Perhaps a few photo ops of Nari out and about with various Avengers. Or is it preferred that you keep a low profile, and stay within the tower?"

"That's a good question," Steve said, frowning. "Loki's appearance as a dragon this morning was certainly very remarkable; after the press release and press conference to explain it's presence in the skies over New York, I think most people will likely be expecting to see more of our guest. And seeing her in a non-threatening form doing normal touristy things will certainly soothe the fears of a lot of people."

"In that case I believe Pepper and I should take one of our usual shopping trips while she's here, and have Nari go along with us," Natasha spoke up. "Tony can perhaps take her out to dinner and dancing. Steve – would you be up to taking her on a museum or art gallery trip?"

He shrugged. "I suppose so."

"Bruce, would you feel up to taking her somewhere? Something touristy perhaps? A walk in the park?" Pepper asked.

Bruce grimaced. "You know I don't like going out much. And my last walk with Loki didn't end very well, though it was my own fault, nothing to do with him."

"Maybe they could just do something short and simply like making a coffee run together?" Tony suggested. "Well, not coffee since Bruce prefers tea but... there's that bakery you like going to, it's not that far?"

"Maybe," Bruce said. "I'll think about it."

"Thanks man," Tony said, smiling warmly at him, before eating another bite of his pizza. "This is excellent by the way, much better than ordering in. I'm going to kidnap some of the leftovers, cold pizza for breakfast tomorrow, yay. That sound good, Nari?"

She shrugged, keeping her gaze on her own plate of food. "I suppose."

"Well, I'm far from sleepy yet, still being on west coast time, but I know it's pretty late in the evening for all of you," Pepper pointed out, setting her empty plate down on the nearest corner of the coffee table. "And we have a press conference to prepare for early tomorrow. I'm going to head to my room now... I'll see you all tomorrow at breakfast."

"I'll walk up with you," Natasha said, rising to her feet as well. Bruce also bowed out, citing a need to check on some things in his lab, though he heaped his plate with pizza to take with him, evidently having no plans of going to bed any time soon. Tony was still working his way through a last couple of slices of pizza, though Nari had finished all of hers and seemed uninterested in more.

"I can package up some of the pizza for you," Steve offered. "Or would you rather join us all for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Mmmm. How about both? I still want to take leftovers home with me, but I suppose it'll make getting ready for the press conference easier if both Loki and I show up for breakfast with everyone else; more time to talk over anything that needs talking over. Nari, is that fine with you?"

"Yes. Someone might want to warn Clint that I'll be present."

"I'll take care of that," Steve said, as he transferred slices from the different varieties of pizza to a single tray, turning a second tray upside-down over top to provide a lid.

"Thanks, for both the food and that," Tony said, setting down his empty plate and picking up the tray as he rose to his feet. "See you in the morning."

Nari rose and followed Tony away, remaining silent all the way up to the penthouse, trailing along behind him as he put the pizza away in his fridge and led the way up to his bedroom. Only then did Tony finally turn to her, feeling self-conscious.

"So, uh... totally up to you, but do you want to stay in this form, or change to a different one? Sex, no sex? No pressure!"

Loki returned to his own form. "I think what I most want tonight is just to be held," he said quietly.

Tony smiled. "I can do cuddling. Come on, bed time for both of us."

* * *

"Put this in the fridge, please," Phil said, handing the tray still half-full of pizza to Clint, before stacking the other tray and their dishes on his own lap and rolling off to the kitchen.

Clint had switched to soft drinks after Natasha had replaced Bruce, and that was now long enough ago – and enough slices of pizza ago – that he was feeling considerably more sober now than he had been earlier in the evening. He carried the pizza in and put it in the fridge, then stood and watched Phil loading things into the dishwasher.

"Do you want to spend the night here?" Phil offered, glancing at him.

"Do I have to stay on the couch?"

"That depends on whether or not you think you're going to be hung over enough to throw up."

"Nah, I'm good," Clint said. "Plenty of hydration, and Tasha made me take something before she left."

"Then you don't have to stay on the couch."

"Thank you, sir," Clint said automatically, then smiled. "Phil. Thank you Phil."

Phil gave him an amused smile in return, then rolled off to and through the bedroom, heading into the bathroom to start on his pre-bed routine. Clint quickly stripped down, setting his things neatly aside on top of the dresser, and dressed in a pair of the sleep pants he kept stored there. Half the top drawer was his, the other half was Natasha's, both of them being in the habit of occasionally sleeping over with Coulson; as much for their own comfort as his, the practice harking back to their years in the field as a team together, and often sharing beds in safehouses or motels. Clint was sure Phil had invited him tonight because he'd know Clint was likely to have nightmares after the revelations of the day, and it would be easier for him to recover from them with Phil right there and obviously alive.

"Need a hand?" he asked when Phil came back out.

"No, Jarvis and I can manage," Phil said, stopping his chair beside the bed and undoing the chest-strap helping him to remain upright before reaching up to grab hold of a padded handlebar that was lowering from the ceiling.

"All right," Clint said, and headed into the bathroom to take care of his own sanitary needs, smiling as he always did at the pair of travel kits tucked away in one corner of the counter near the sink; his own sparkly purple kit, originally meant to be a make-up bag, that had lost most of its glitter, being a several year's old joke gift from Natasha, and the slim, shiny black pouch that Natasha kept her few necessary items in. He made mental note that he needed to replace the toothbrush in his kit soon, the bristles were getting soft and splayed with age and use.

By the time he headed back out to the bedroom, Phil was already changed in his sleep shorts and lying on the bed, one of Jarvis' remote arms reaching down from the ceiling to gently straighten out his legs for him. The bedroom and bathroom were the only places in the apartment that Phil had allowed Tony to install anything of the kind, recognizing that it was either depend on Jarvis for assistance or have an actual person on hand to help him. Phil had felt that Jarvis was much less of a security risk, as well as having the benefit of being on hand at all hours and not just within limited time frames.

"Can I tuck you in?" Clint asked with a grin.

"Sure," Phil agreed, rolling his eyes slightly.

Clint stepped over once Jarvis had retracted his remotes, double-checking that there weren't any big wrinkles in the undersheet – unable to roll over on his own in the night as Phil was, those could all too easily lead to the development of bed sores – before pulling the top sheet up over him. Once he was sure Phil was comfortable, he walked around the bed and lay down on the other side of it. The room was kept warm enough that he didn't bother getting under the sheet.

"Planning to be on guard all night, Clint?"

Clint shrugged, and squirmed around to get comfortable in a position where he could see Phil and the bathroom door clearly, and the bedroom door in his peripheral vision. "Habit," he pointed out. "You know I hate getting tangled up in the sheets."

Phil made a little humming sound of acknowledgement. "Did you and Natasha follow the meeting upstairs?" he asked after a couple minutes of silence.

"Natasha had a comm in."

"Which means you didn't. You should listen to it; you may end up having to work with him at some point. He talked about some of his abilities, among other things."

Clint made a sound of disgust, then sighed. "Jarvis, can you play back the meeting upstairs to my right implant? Low volume."

" _Certainly, Clint._ "

Voices started talking quietly in his ear, mixed in with occasional background sounds. He listened intently, glad that Loki didn't sound like himself, Loki-as-Nari having a markedly different voice, even the accent having shifted somewhat.

"Pause," Clint said after a while, and looked over at Phil, who was lying still with his eyes closed but whose breathing pattern said he was still very much awake. "He's avoiding talking much about his magical abilities, isn't he? He only talks about the things he's directly questioned about, like the illusions and magical blasts and the healing."

Phil nodded. "I thought you might notice that too. I'd be interested to see a list of all the things you can recall seeing him do; I suspect he's downplaying his abilities as much as he can get away with. Not that I blame him, I'd do the same thing," Phil added with a gentle smile, opening his eye again as he turned his head to look at Clint. "I'm still trying to figure out if he got behind me on the Helicarrier by simply making himself invisible and moving while I was talking to an illusion of him, or if he's capable of at least short-range teleports. And if he can teleport, can he teleport only along open sightlines, or can he teleport _through_ things, in which case he was never actually caged at all his entire time there."

"That's... a scary thought, sir," Clint said slowly. "Jarvis, resume." He frowned as he listened to the conversation continue, eventually asking for another pause. "I don't think he got the reaction he expected to from his revelation that he's a frost giant."

"No, he didn't," Phil agreed. "Remember back in New Mexico, what Ms Lewis and the doctors had to say later about the reasons Thor had given for his exile to earth?"

"He'd attacked some place, right? Almost restarted a war?"

"Yes. Along with his friends and Loki, he attacked Jotunheim and almost restarted a war with the frost giants, whom the Aesir consider a 'monstrous and treacherous' race."

" _Shit._ "

"It gets worse," Phil said grimly. "While he was on the Helicarrier, Thor talked a little about what went on back on Asgard while he was trapped in New Mexico. Loki lured a group of frost giants to Asgard, using their sleeping father – Loki's adoptive father, Odin – as bait in a trap, and killed them. The group included their king, a frost giant named Laufey. One of the names Loki goes by is Loki Laufeyson."

"Awww, fuck, sir... he killed his own biological father? Not that I can't claim to not understand the impulse, but... _fuck_."

Phil continued speaking, voice almost unnaturally calm even for him. "Loki then went on to attempt the complete destruction of Jotunheim; apparently their Bifrost Bridge is as much a weapon of mass destruction as it is a means of travel, which suggests something about the Aesir that I can't admit much liking. Thor returned to Asgard in time to stop it, though in doing so he had to destroy the bridge itself, which is why he was unable to return here afterwards. Loki fell or jumped off the bridge into the void, and wasn't seen or heard of again until he stepped through a portal into the tesseract's chamber here on earth."

"The period he says he was in the hands of this... this _Other_ , and Than-whatsit?"

"The Other and Thanos, yes," Phil said, and chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. "I find it telling that Thor knew the name of the race of aliens Loki was leading before their army ever appeared here. _Someone_ must have known where Loki was and what was happening to him, though I don't think Thor himself was aware that Loki had survived until he reappeared here and Thor was sent to stop him; he cares for Loki too much to have not attempted a rescue had he known what was going on beforehand. I have the feeling that Odin may have disavowed his adopted son, and simply not cared that he was being held captive and... worse things than just being held. At least until he ended up here, where Midgard being under Thor's protection made it important to finally do something about the situation in order to maintain face."

"I don't think I like Loki's father very much," Clint said darkly, scowling.

"I don't believe I'm exactly inclined to welcome him with open arms either," Phil agreed. "Anyway, I believe Dr Banner's characterization of Loki as being a bag of cats is unfortunately rather accurate; he learned things about himself that broke him, reacted to the information in ways that only made things worse for him, and then he was broken farther and made a tool in someone else's hand. He _is_ showing signs of what I would hope can be characterized as recovery since his arrival here; at least I think his development of a relationship with Tony is a good sign, worrisome as it otherwise is."

Clint groaned. "A bag of cats, but you still want me to work with him."

"Yes. I know it's a lot to ask, after what happened to you and Dr Selvig, but... I think I much prefer the idea of a Loki staying here, where we can watch him and where he has begun to form bonds that might temper his behaviour, than a Loki running around with a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Everest and thinking of us as his enemies."

Clint sighed. "A good point. Okay. Don't expect me to trust him or to leap for joy at his presence, but I can be a professional and treat this like an undercover mission; I've worked with assholes I'd prefer to have just slit the throats of before. Though if he tries to betray us? I have some nice new arrows I'd love to test out on him."

Phil smiled and relaxed, eyes sliding shut again. "I wouldn't expect anything else of you, Barton," he said sleepily.

"G'night, sir. Phil."

"Night, Clint."


	50. Press Conference

Phil glanced around at Tony, Nari, and Steve to make sure they were all ready, then rolled out to take his position behind the podium at the front of the meeting room, setting his notes down on it as it automatically adjusted itself to his height. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the press. As you are all aware, this morning's press conference is for the purpose of allowing you all to meet the visitor who made such a spectacular appearance in the skies over Manhattan yesterday morning. As the official press release yesterday stated, Nari is a friend of Thor's that the Avengers are hosting for the duration of her visit here, and her presence here is not considered by SHIELD or by the Avengers to be a danger to others. At this time the length of her stay here on Earth has yet to be determined. Nari is willing to answer at least some questions, though she reserves the right to refuse any that are considered too invasive to her personal privacy. Mr Stark and Captain Rogers are also attending today's conference as her official host and the leader of the Avengers respectively, and will answer questions as well."

That done with, he retrieved his notes and wheeled back, stopping in line with the row of chairs in back of the podium. Nari walked out, flanked by Tony and Steve, Tony moving to take the podium first while Steve took a seat beside Phil. "Morning all. You all know me. I'm pleased to be able to introduce you to Nari, our current guest, and apologize for any worry the two of us caused to people yesterday. Nari was demonstrating her shape-shifting ability to me, and I was unaware she intended to take such a spectacular form, or I'd have made sure to either warn the authorities ahead of time or that we were in a location less likely to lead to widespread notice and fear. Nari? Come say hello to all the nice people of the press," he said, and stepped to the side, keeping one hand resting on the podium and holding the other out toward her.

Nari darted a look his way, but put her hand in his while stepping up to the podium, before releasing his grip to rest her hands on the edge of it. Tony gave her an approving smile before stepping back, though he remained close by. "Good morning," she said, and smiled warmly at the gathered reporters. "I too would like to apologize for any worry I caused yesterday. I had not realized that my appearance would cause such a stir, or I would have chosen a far less noticeable form as part of my demonstration to Tony. Now, you've all read the press release, I believe... do you have questions that it does not already cover?"

Several hands went up. Tony signalled toward one, a reporter that Phil knew was generally friendly to the Avengers and likely to ask questions that weren't seeking a sensationalist answer. Sure enough his question was a benign one – asking how long Nari had been in residence so far, the claimed answer for which was just under a week's time – and most of the initial wave of questions asked by other reporters afterwards were equally innocuous. Nari handled herself well, remaining calm and friendly in tone and smiling frequently.

"Thor had to return to Asgard after escorting me here, due to obligations he had in his own realm. I am hoping to see him again before my visit here ends. No, I don't have a set date for departure... I'm hoping to stay for at least several weeks. I don't know if I'll visit other locations, that depends in part on whether my hosts find themselves free to escort me elsewhere, as I would prefer to be accompanied than travel on my own in a realm I am unfamiliar with. No, apart from yesterday's flight I have yet to leave the tower; I wished to take time to acclimatize myself to this realm and properly befriend my hosts before venturing elsewhere. I am looking forward to seeing more of this city in the coming days."

And so on and so forth, only twice deflecting questions – one from a reporter who seemed to believe Nari's presence was part of some elaborate plot or hoax on the part of SHIELD or other government agencies in order to acquire extraordinary powers to the detriment of all right-thinking Americans – Tony took that one and essentially gently mocked the reporter while refuting his idea – and a much more benign question some time later, asking about conditions elsewhere in the so-called Nine Realms and if another appearance by threats such as the chitauri might be expected. That one she turned to Steve for an answer to, claiming to be in no position to answer it herself.

"Thor, as a representative of Asgard, has indicated that to the best of their knowledge the chitauri are still active, but that their attention is currently turned elsewhere than here, and that Asgard is taking steps to eliminate them as a future threat to both themselves and us," Steve explained, looking very serious. "That is of course no guarantee that we will not see them again, though it is our sincere hope that our allies elsewhere in the Nine Realms will successfully deal with them. Rest assured that the Avengers, among others, are prepared to defend Earth against them if it again becomes necessary."

That led to further questions about the purpose of Nari's visit here, and whether or not she too was a representative of another realm.

"I merely seek to learn more of a realm that my friend Thor has spoken well of," Nari calmly answered. "I have no standing or influence in the government of my home realm, and am here merely as what you would call a private citizen, a tourist."

"What realm _do_ you come from?" another reporter asked.

"I am of mixed heritage and was raised elsewhere than where I was born, and have travelled considerably since reaching my majority; my mother is of the Vanir, and it is on Vanaheim that I suppose I most feel at home."

Phil admired how deftly Loki mixed some degree of truth into his misdirections over the course of the press conference. He was relieved when it finally came to a close without incident, and rolled forward to thank the reporters for their attendance while the other three withdrew. Once the room started emptying out, the SI security guards making sure that no one lingered or wandered about, he moved off to rejoin the others. Pepper, who'd been watching from the wings, had seen to it that they waited for him before boarding the elevator to return upstairs.

"I'm glad that's over," Phil said.

"It went quite well," Pepper said approvingly.

"Yeah, could have gone a lot worse," Tony agreed. "Well done, Nari."

"Thank you," Nari said, then yawned. "That was far more tiring than I would have expected."

"Tell me about it," Tony said, grimacing. "I always end up feeling either wired or exhausted after these things. Sometimes both at once."

"You'd feel exhausted less often if you actually slept properly before them, Tony," Pepper pointed out.

"I did sleep before this one. Which may be why I'm feeling wired now. I hope lunch is ready... I could eat a horse," he said, then frowned down at the suit he was wearing. "After I change. There's a doombot in the quarantine lab that Bruce and I are supposed to be doing further work on taking apart this afternoon, and the Caraceni is not allowed to even get off the elevator on the lab floors for anything short of imminent destruction."

Pepper snorted. "You and that suit... isn't it a little much for a simple press conference?"

"If it was just a simple press conference, sure, but this was me introducing a fabulous alien beauty to the world," Tony said, grinning toothily. "This suit makes it clear just how important an occasion I felt it was. Look, even Agent pulled on a decent D&G for the occasion."

Phil turned his chair a little to take a second look at Tony's suit, feeling a pang of envy as he looked at its beautifully constructed lines. "Caraceni? Really?"

"Yeah, you ever want one, let me know, I can probably swing you an appointment."

"I had one once," Phil said, smiling fondly at the years-old memory. "Picked it up during an extended OP in Italy where I was supposed to be the money. Unfortunately it didn't survive the fire-fight at the end."

"Took a bullet?"

"The pants did. The jacket stopped Clint from bleeding out."

"Ow. Most expensive bandages ever? You ever want another one?"

"Tempting as the offer is, I'm currently unable to do justice to the lines. Or take time out to fly to Milan for fittings. I'll stick with local off the rack."

"At least you're buying from a decently high-end rack."

Phil smiled up at Tony. "You have your suits of armour, I have mine." That won a wide grin from Tony, who had a good understanding of both kinds, as the Caraceni demonstrated.

The elevator stopped at the common floor, where Bruce and Natasha were preparing a lunch for everyone as part of welcoming Pepper's latest visit to New York. Tony continued up to his penthouse to change, though Nari chose to disembark with them rather than accompanying him up. Phil glanced around to see where Clint was, and spotted him seated in the pit in front of the television, at the far end of one of the curving benches, where he could keep an eye on the entire room. He met Phil's eyes, glanced once, pointedly, in Nari's direction, then seemingly returned his attention to the tablet computer in his hands. Steve and Pepper were headed to the kitchen, taking Nari with them; Phil considered joining Clint, then followed after them instead.

Lunch was apparently going to be a lentil soup – made by Bruce – and a sandwich buffet. Natasha was arranging the prepared fillings down the centre of the dining room table; baskets full of various kinds of bread; platters of cheese, cold sliced meats and fish, and assorted sliced or chopped vegetables; smaller dishes full of pickles, olives, capers, relishes, and other condiments. Bruce recruited Pepper and Nari to carry bowls full of soup to the table as he filled them, while Steve saw to it that pitchers of sangria and beer made it from the fridge to the table.

Tony soon re-appeared, dragging in a reluctant Clint behind him, and they all found seats, Phil finding a place open for his chair between Steve and Clint, Tony deftly manoeuvring Nari to sit between him and Pepper at the far end of the table from Clint, Natasha and Bruce taking the remaining seats.

Despite the palpable tension that remained due to Nari's presence at the table, it ended up being a very enjoyable meal, with a lot of chatter as people passed things back and forth to construct their sandwiches. Phil built himself a bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers and chopped red onion, and a pastrami on rye, and watched with amusement as Steve assembled a small mountain of different sandwiches for himself. Clint built a complicated sandwich involving two kinds of bread and a half-dozen different fillings, one thick enough he could only just manage to take bites of it, and ate it with obvious enjoyment. Tony attempted to build a real Dagwood of a sandwich, until Pepper firmly made him separate the towering construction out into several sandwiches. Nari tried a number of different combinations of fillings and condiments, and Phil was interested to note that she, like Natasha, preferred her sandwiches open-faced. They both assembled them as if the sandwiches were individual artworks, the end results looking worthy of a photoshoot.

By the end of the meal the mood was considerably improved, much of the tension draining as people ate and drank, and as any difficulties between Clint and Nari failed to materialize. Eventually Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Well, we won't starve today," he said with every evidence of satisfaction. "Bruce, lab?"

"The doombot? Sure, we've been delayed long enough on that already," Bruce agreed, the two pushing their chairs back and rising to their feet simultaneously.

"You coming with?" Tony asked Nari.

"Of course," she said, and rose to her feet, transforming from Nari to Loki as she did so. Clint tensed for a moment, then picked up and drained the beer left in his glass, as Loki trailed the other two men away.

"I'm fine," Clint said quietly, noticing Phil's attention. "Not going to freak out, I promise."

"Good," Natasha said to him, then smiled at Pepper. "Care for some company this afternoon?"

Pepper smiled warmly back at her. "I have some things I need to to take care of in my offices downstairs at SI, but if you'd like to come along, I can multi-task."

"Clint and I will do clean-up," Steve said, building himself another sandwich out of some of the leftovers still littering the table.

Natasha nodded and the two women left together.

"Going to supervise us?" Clint asked, smiling at Phil.

Phil sighed and grimaced. "No, I better head downstairs; Director Fury will be expecting a report from me."

"Ugh. I'd rather wash dishes," Clint said.

"Good, you can do so then," Steve said firmly. "Or would you rather dry and put away?"

"Cap, I don't know if you've noticed, but we have these things now known as _dishwashers_..."

Phil smiled as he rolled away, listening to the two bicker amiably as they started gathering up and carrying dishes back into the kitchen.

* * *

It felt odd to be in the lab in his own form, though it made watching Bruce and Tony at work – and talking with them about the few obviously magical components of the doombots, at least obvious to him – considerably easier. He looked over the tray full of the oddly-shaped components that the pair had separated out so far, wrinkling his nose as he examined the magic that they were imbued with.

Tony wandered over to look over his shoulder. "Any idea yet what those are or what they're for?" he asked.

"Not entirely. The magic is crude, by the standards I am used to; it's form is not familiar to me. I can only guess at the purpose of a few parts of it. I _think_ , though I cannot yet confirm it, that it is part of the control system of the robots."

"Like for remote control?" Bruce asked, looking up from photographing a circuit board in the calf of the robot.

"Possibly in part, though I believe it mostly helps the robots in decision-making; they're sent out with a strategic goal, and these may help determine the tactics they use in response to what they encounter."

"It's their AI?" Tony said, looking interested and taking a second closer look at them. He started to reach for one, and Loki quickly grabbed his hand.

" _Don't_ touch with your bare hands," he reminded him. "Handle using inorganic and non-conductive materials only."

"Right, sorry. What could happen if I do touch them, anyway?"

"That would depend entirely on what sort of protective magics, if any, are included in the spells they hold. Though even without protective magics, it is generally unwise to handle bespelled objects of unknown purpose; you never know what you might set off."

"Is all magic dangerous?" Tony asked, frowning.

Loki shrugged. "Anything can be dangerous if you don't know how it operates," he pointed out. "Would you allow someone with no knowledge of machinery and tools to poke around at random in your workshop?"

"Oh. Yeah, no. Not a good idea. Okay, I'll be sure to keep my fingers to myself," he agreed, glanced over the tray a second time with a mildly irked expression, then went back to taking apart the robot.

Loki lost himself in studying the pieces, until some time later then Bruce came up beside him, placing a second tray of them on the table. "Learning anything useful about them?" Bruce asked.

"No... I'm still trying to sort out the method that he's using. It doesn't draw from any of the systems of magic I'm already familiar with, which is making translation difficult."

"Translation?" Bruce asked, looking mildly interested. "So it's not a case of a specific configuration of magic for a specific purpose?"

Loki shook his head. "No. It's more..." He had to pause and think for a moment. "Midgard has a number of different languages, yes? And some are related and have words in common, or are at least based on a shared forerunner, that are close enough in sound that the meanings of many words can be guessed in comparison to known languages in the same families, while others are completely unrelated in both sound and structure, sometimes even in their perceptual basis. Systems of magic are like that; most of the methodologies used throughout the Nine Realms draw from a shared pool of concepts and terms, though there are exceptions. This... whatever method this Doom person is using, it follows a method of notation I have never encountered before. I suspect it's something he either developed himself, or is based on some purely Midgardian system that developed here in isolation. I am having to try and guess from the patterns of the structure what configurations might be performing what functions, and extrapolating from there. The process is very slow."

"I'm not sure I get..." Bruce started to say, only to have Tony interrupt.

"Oh! I think I understand! It's not like looking at some wire and a switch and a couple batteries and a light bulb and knowing you're looking at a flashlight; it's more like looking at a programming language you've never encountered before whose structure is unrelated to any you already know, and trying to pick out things like its version of coding for case statements and if-then loops, and then having to guess at what the other commands are meant to do."

Bruce gave Tony an amused look. Loki smiled at him. "Vaguely correct. With a certain amount of the guesswork having to be based on... well, on the _feel_ of the shape it takes. There is a large part of any magical working that relies on intuition or instinct; on the intentions of the caster. The systems of notation a way of directing the power into appropriate paths to satisfy the caster;s intent, and even two students of the same master using ostensibly the same system of notation might find their actual configurations varying considerably one from the other, each using a personal version of the notation."

"Like two people writing the same word but their handwriting being entirely different?" Bruce suggested.

"Something like, yes," Loki agreed, and bit his lip for a moment. "Except even both being handwritten is not necessarily the case; one might have written their notation in fine calligraphy with ink on parchment while the other assembled theirs out of chips of stone fused together into a standing structure. My mother..." he paused a moment, then gave a very minute shrug. "My mother weaves hers, quite literally. Many of her women work with fibre or fabric in some way as the basis of their system of notation."

Tony frowned. "So any object might be a spell then? Like the binding necklaces and these lumps of metal and... how does that work with shape-changing?"

"Physical notation is best for a working that is meant to have duration, or to be activated at a later time. Some magic users can only work with physical notation, manipulating power indirectly. Those of us who are best skilled at the art can work more directly with power; using our focused intent to create instantaneous, short-lived effects – like blasts of shaped energy, independent of an ensorcelled object to cast them from – or direct the power into creating long-term effects. There is much discussion over whether shape-shafting is a use of power or an innate ability. There is shape-shifting that is mere illusion or costuming, which most agree is just a stable shaping of power, and can be performed by almost any reasonably skilled practitioner, and then there is actually changing physical form and size, taking on not just the appearance but the being, the abilities, the limitations, of a specific creature. I might use illusion to hide as a statue in a hallway, but to be a dragon I _become_ a dragon. It is a very rare skill, the true shifting, and dangerous."

"Because function follows form? The form you takes affects you?" Bruce asked.

Loki nodded. "Yes. The instincts of the form, its needs, they can be... overwhelming. There is also the trick of maintaining your own knowledge and thoughts and mental abilities while using a physical form whose brain is not designed for such; your have to maintain your own mind as a separate entity of energy while... overlapping or interlacing it with the animal brain. And in cases like the dragon, which _is_ a very highly developed thinking creature, keeping yourself from merging completely into it, becoming it entirely, is hard to resist. Though even the less intelligent forms have their allure," he admitted, unable to stop a certain amount of longing from entering his voice. He drew a deep breath, forced himself to calmness, continued. "More than one true shape-shifter has vanished over the years, believed to have taken a form and been unable or unwilling to change back out of it. Perhaps some of them purposefully, but likely as many or more by accident. There are some who say that Odin All-Father's ravens were once such, or are descended from one who was, though I have never stumbled across any proof that it is so. Though they are unusually intelligent and have abilities that no other ravens do," he admitted, shrugging. "In any case, we are getting rather far afield from our original subject."

"The lumps of magical metal," Tony said, leaning forward a little to take a closer look at them, though this time keeping his hands well away.

"Yes, these lumps," Loki agreed. "My instincts tell me they are part of the controls for the robots, though unravelling the form and meaning of their magics is, as I said, a slow process. And I dislike the... the _feel_ of them. I find myself questioning is this Doctor von Doom even truly understands what they do; he may be working too much by instinct, and not enough by knowledge, logic, and focused intent. I would say that not only should we avoid touching them, but that spending too long in close proximity to so many of them may be harmful."

Bruce and Tony both took immediate long steps back, then exchange rueful looks. "How long is too long, and what do you consider close proximity?" Tony asked.

"No more than a few hours at a time in the same room with them unshielded like this. I feel uneasy enough about them that I think it safest if we destroy most of them, keeping only one or two for study, and keep those heavily shielded except when necessary."

"Shielding?" Bruce asked. "I'm guessing you're talking of something more than just a lead-lined box."

Loki grinned at him, amused. "A lead-lined box would actually be a good start, lead being both inorganic and non-conductive, though lead by itself is too... reactive and malleable. The less miscible the lining, the better. Resistance to both heat and cold, and oxidation... I know what alloy I would use if this were Asgard, but as magic is involved in its production to overcome the immisciblity of two of the metals in question, I don't think you'd have it here, though I'm sure some reasonable substitute can be found."

"Jarvis, figure something out for us, would you?" Tony asked.

" _Checking stocks for a non-conductive alloy with the stated properties, Sir._ "

"How do we destroy them?" Tony asked.

" _We_ don't; I do, though a careful application of focused power," he said, and frowned at the pair of trays in front of them. "I think the first step will be to separate them, having them gathered so closely together feels... unwise. Gathered like this they may be interacting in unexpected ways, especially if they are formed mostly of instinctive workings."

"Dangerous ways?"

"Possibly. The saying that magic sometimes has a mind of its own exists because it does."

"Let's get these separated then," Tony said firmly, stepping over to the workbench to pick up a pair of the insulated tongs that he and Bruce had so far been using when it was necessary to handle one of the lumps. "How far apart?"

"At least a foot, and preferably more than that. Try and keep them on this side of the room; I'd prefer to have some elbow room between myself and the bulk of them as I'm working on destroying them individually," he said, before picking up tongs himself to begin spreading out the pieces.

* * *

Bruce peered through his glasses at the palm of Loki's hand where an ugly burn was already showing signs of healing, pink new skin replacing seared flesh. "Fascinating," he said.

"Gross is what it is," Tony put in, stopping to peer over his shoulder. "You sure you're okay, Loki?"

Loki glanced at him and smiled thinly. "Well enough. My own fault for underestimating how strongly the magic might react in its own defence. I'll be much more careful with the destruction of the remainder, though I think we'd best leave that until tomorrow. Containing the reaction took considerable energy," he added ruefully. "Between that and healing this... well, I would rather be well-rested before continuing."

"Sounds like a plan," Tony agreed, turning to look at the closed doors of the quarantine lab. "I don't think I'm in the mood to poke at the robot any more right now anyway. Not physically, at least, and we can review the photographs and scans we've taken so far anywhere, so how about we withdraw to somewhere more comfortable?"

"How about my place?" Bruce suggested.

"That depends, are you cooking?"

Bruce smiled. "I might have some chicken marinating in tandoori paste."

Tony gasped and widened his eyes theatrically. "Doctor Banner! Eating actual meat?"

"I do on occasion," Bruce said, looking amused.

"There enough for three?"

"Should be."

"Then lead on," Tony said, and the three of them went upstairs together to Bruce's apartment.

Within a remarkably short time Bruce had prepared tandoori chicken, skewers of grilled vegetables and naan bread for them. They ate gathered around one of the large coffee tables in his living room rather than at the table in the kitchen, Bruce sitting on a pillow on the floor while Tony and Loki sat on the couch, the two scientists pouring over Jarvis' projections of the photos and scans of the robot and discussing its internal makeup.

"It's not really my field," Bruce said, as he had several times already, pushing his glasses up before leaning forward to gesture at one of the scans. "Though this part here looks like it might be a receiver of some kind."

Tony grabbed the hologram in question and pulled it closer to himself, expanding it to a larger size as he did so. "You're right," he said after a moment. "This component, and this... Jarvis, show me a schematic for how this connected to... right, thanks..."

Loki pushed aside his empty plate, and curled up on the end of the couch, watching while rubbing one thumb across the now healed but still-sensitive palm of his hand. This was even more not his field than it was Bruce's, the antiquated electronic systems of the humans like nothing he had ever bothered studying before coming to Midgard. He watched the pair of them for a while, his own thoughts wandering, considering how best to safely handle the destruction of the remaining magical artifacts. It was only when he squirmed closer to rest his head on Tony's leg that he realized he had shifted shape, without even planning to. Tony's hand absently scratched at the fur around the base of his ears, a comfortingly familiar touch. He glanced self-consciously across the table at Bruce, who was watching the pair of them with a faintly amused expression, and realized to his own chagrin and dawning amusement that Tony hadn't even noticed yet that he'd shifted. He licked his muzzle, gave Bruce a vulpine stare, and wrapped his bushy tail around himself, settling down in a contented curl against Tony's thigh.


	51. First Outing

Tony broke off in mid-sentence, and frowned down at the fox curled up beside him, chin resting on his leg and eyes closed in sleep. He'd been rubbing it gently behind the ears for a while, he realized. "How long...?" he asked, looking questioningly at Bruce.

Bruce gave him a thoroughly amused look. "Over half an hour ago. It's very sweet."

Tony flushed. "Yeah, well. Guess I'm just so used to him being around like this..."

Bruce's smile widened. "We should probably take a break anyway," was all he said, before rising to his feet, stooping down to pick up the cushion he'd been sitting on and tossing it towards one of the couches. "Or stop for the night entirely."

"I suppose," Tony agreed, and slid his hands under Loki, lifting him up to cradle him against his chest as he rose to his feet, Loki waking enough to squirm around and rest his forepaws and chin on Tony's shoulder, nosing into his hair before settling again.

As Tony carried him toward the elevator, Jarvis spoke up. " _Pardon me, Sir... Ms Potts is asking if now is a good time for her to come upstairs and speak with you._ "

"Sure, I'll meet her in the penthouse," Tony agreed, as he stepped on board and was whisked upwards to his own apartment. They needed drinks, he decided, and walked over to the bar, carefully shifting his hold on Loki to support his hindquarters with one hand, freeing the other to take down glasses and get a bottle of a nice white wine out of the cooler. Pepper walked into the room as he was frowning at the bottle, a corkscrew held in one hand. He smiled warmly at her and held it up, then gestured with it at the bottle. "Think you can do this bit? I only have one hand free which is not enough for operating this contraption."

"So I see," Pepper said, sounding amused, and took the corkscrew from him, pulling the bottle closer to herself and setting about applying one to the other, though her attention was focused more on Loki than on her task. She had a faint smile on her lips, which Tony figured had to be a good sign. He lifted his eyebrows at her, self-conscious and amused to feel so, and absently ran his hand down Loki's back, which made the fox shift its weight a little, wet nose rooting around in his hair for a moment before he stilled again. It was, he realized, the first time Loki had ever really slept as an animal around him, without being forced into human form by the binding spell. He smirked, briefly imagining Pepper's reaction if Loki was to change into his usual long and lanky (and naked) form right now.

Pepper's smile widened, her freckled nose wrinkling adorably for a moment before she looked away and down to pay attention to what she was doing while she poured both of them a glass of wine. She handed one glass to him, then carried the bottle and her own glass over to the seating area, setting them down on the coffee table as she sat down and kicked off her heels. Tony lowered himself carefully to sit beside her.

"So," she said, and studied Loki intently for a moment before looking Tony in the eyes. "You and Loki?"

She'd always been good at reading him. "Yeah," he admitted. "Problem?"

"Not for me," she said firmly, and settled back against the cushions, sipping thoughtfully at her wine. "If it gets out, possibly for SI. How long?"

"We were dancing around it for a few weeks, I guess. Actually doing anything about it... anything more than a kiss, in the few minutes he was human anyway... a couple of days."

"Ah. After the flight," she said firmly.

He felt his eyebrows twitch upward in surprise. "Yes."

She smiled slowly, one corner of her mouth slightly higher than the other. "I _do_ remember what sort of mood a good flight could put you in. I've seen the You-Tube videos; that flight looked particularly... exhilarating."

He knew he was flushing, and found himself grinning back at her. "Yeah, more than a little. Given everything that's going on... I don't know if it will last. If it will be _allowed_ to last, when Thor might show up ready to drag him back to prison on Asgard at any time. But I'll take what I can get, for as long as I can get it."

Her smile changed slightly, becoming softer and somehow fonder. "You never pick the easy ones, do you?"

"Why Ms Potts... are you saying you were _difficult?_ " he asked in mock-surprise.

"I think we both were," she said. "You're... _you_ , and the man I was in love with was a subset of you. It took me too long to realize that I couldn't just pick and choose the bits of you I wanted and..." She broke off, and shrugged. "I wasn't strong enough to take on all of you. Maybe he is."

She sipped at her wine for a moment, eyeing him thoughtfully, then smiled mischievously. "So... is Darcy aware that she's your beard?"

Tony laughed hard enough to startle Loki awake, the fox pushing off of him and making a moderately spectacular leap to land on the coffee table, crouched down and staring wide-eyed at them, his ears laid back and tail fluffed out.

"Sorry, Loki... Pepper surprised me," Tony apologized, and held out one hand toward him. "Come back?"

Loki straightened up, and looked back and forth between them, then leaped gracefully back to the couch, sitting down with his tail wrapped neatly around his feet in the space between them, looking interestedly up at Pepper, head tilting slightly to one side.

Pepper looked back calmly, a smile playing around the corners of her mouth for a moment before she laughed as well. "You're being unbelievably adorable right now and I can only think it's on purpose, a way to disarm me and make me underestimate you," she told him sternly.

He grinned, changing from fox back to his human shape as he did so, balancing in a crouch on the balls of his feet between the two of them. Dressed at least, Tony was relieved to see; faded blue jeans and a plain black tshirt, just tight enough to show off the lean muscles underneath, though he'd left his feet bare. "Was it working?" Loki asked, head tilted to one side in much the same pose the fox had taken.

"Only briefly," Pepper told him, seeming not in the least surprised or distressed by his shape-changing.

Tony snorted, and hooked a finger through one of the belt loops of Loki's jeans, tugging him backwards into his lap. Loki made a startled sound as he overbalanced, then gave Tony a mildly exasperated look, before plucking the wine glass out of his other hand. He sniffed it before sipping from it, a look of pleasure lighting his face, then cradled the glass in both hands in a manner that made it very clear that he had no intention of returning it.

"That's my drink," Tony pointed out as Loki sipped from it.

"It's mine now. This is good. Is there more?" he asked, looking towards the bottle.

Pepper smiled and leaned forward to pick it up, topping up both their glasses. "Excellent," Loki said, then leaned sideways, against Tony's chest. "What were we talking about?"

Pepper exchanged a look with Tony that made it clear to him that she was well-aware that Loki was still putting on an act, as much as he'd been while in fox form.

"Pepper was asking a potentially rude question about Darcy," Tony told him, then looked at Pepper. "And to answer it, yes and no, and Loki can fill that role himself if needed"

"Yes _and_ no?" Pepper asked, eyebrows raising slightly. "Do please explain how it's both; I'm all ears."

"She's already my unofficial special event arm-candy and paparazzi camera-bait, not to mention my honorary kid sister, and is delighted with all the roles. She also knows about Loki being here and is more than smart enough to figure out who Nari must be, and I wouldn't put it past her to jump to the correct conclusion about the nature of our relationship. Which reminds me, Jarvis, wasn't I supposed to call her and Jane some time this weekend and invite them over again this week?"

" _You were, Sir, though Ms Lewis already called while you were in the lab this afternoon, and left a rather emphatically worded message that she and Dr Foster would be dropping by tomorrow evening. It was shortly after the first news reports related to the press conference were broadcast, so I believe it likely that their reason for visiting is not as originally planned._ "

Tony grinned. "Emphatically worded... was creative swearing involved?"

" _It may have been._ "

"Save that message, I'll probably want to listen to it later, see if I can pick up any good new expletives."

" _Of course, Sir._ "

Pepper was smiling. "It will be nice to see Darcy again. And to finally meet Dr Foster – I've heard so much about her."

"I like Darcy," Loki said sleepily.

Tony smiled at him. "Enjoyed our girl's night in, did you?"

"She _talked_ to me. She didn't just treat me like the form I was wearing. And she made you smile a lot," he added then held his already-emptied glass out in Pepper's direction. She topped it up again, earning a murmured thanks.

"Ow, watch it with the elbow," Tony said, shifting around a little. "You know, given how many inches you have on me, having you sitting in my lap is not the most comfortable of positions."

"You're the one who put me here," Loki reminded him. "But we can be more comfortable," he said, handing the wine glass back to Tony, then changed back into the fox again, curling up in Tony's lap.

Tony laughed, and ran his free hand down Loki's back, then turned his attention back to Pepper. "So how long are you staying for?"

"A week, most likely; as well as wanting to be on-site in case of any PR emergencies – any _further_ PR emergencies – related to Loki being here, I also have a small mountain of SI paperwork to finish wading through downstairs. Plus there's some site visits I should make while I'm on this coast; I need to keep on top of what's going on in the New Jersey and Virginia campuses."

"What is going on, anything I should be aware of?"

"Not really, the New Jersey facility is just finishing work on prototypes of hardened versions of several of our electronic offerings, for the military market – don't make that face, just because we don't make weapons any more doesn't mean they're not still a valuable customer – Rhodey put in a lot of hard work to convince the top brass that it was better to take what they could get from us rather than cut us out of military bidding entirely. There'll be a private showing of the prototypes once they've passed inspection by our own quality assurance people, and I want to make sure everything goes smoothly."

"If they'd cut off their nose to spite their face they'd have been pretty much limited to Hammer crap and that new line from OsCorp, which is only slightly better, so it can't have been that hard a sell."

"You're forgetting these are the same top brass that hired Hammer to make his own version of the suit, and have yet to retire General Ross. If we do get the electronics contract it will be worth close to a billion dollars over the next five years."

"Point. Okay, so, they're idiots but you want to make nice with them anyway because they have deep pockets. And in Virginia?"

"In Virginia I think we may have a few too many managers who've been promoted to their level of incompetence. On top of which my chief internal auditor tells me he can't find anything concrete, but he doesn't like the feel of their books, so the suspicion is that there's someone there taking advantage of conditions created by the former point. He and Happy are there right now looking into things, and I plan to swing by once they've had some time to do some digging."

"I am so glad that's not something I have to deal with myself. Making you CEO was one of the best decisions I ever made, despite the condition I was in when I made it."

Pepper smiled. "I won't argue. Unlike you, I love this job."

"And you're awesome at it."

Her smile widened. "And I'm awesome at it," she agreed.

They talked for a little longer about SI-related things. It felt good, the two of them just sitting and drinking wine together and talking, almost like old times, though without the messy personal life stuff intruding. Loki was content to just stay in Tony's lap and be petted for quite some time, then eventually jumped down and vanished into the kitchen. When he returned a little while later, he was in human form again, and eating a bowl of ice cream.

"God, look at the time... I really should be going," Pepper said. "Loki, Steve has offered to take Nari to a museum tomorrow afternoon. Do you know if you prefer modern art or old masters?"

"Old masters, I think," Loki said. "I like realism in art more than paint spatters and preserved animals encased in plastic."

"Ouch. Not a fan of Damien Hirst?"

Loki shrugged. "I tripped over photographs of some of his work online. He may be trying to say something interesting about death and our perception of it, but I mislike his choice of medium. It sells, but I believe it may well be a case of his works being a Veblen good."

Pepper focused an interested expression on Loki. Tony blinked. "A Veb-what?" he asked.

Pepper smiled and answered, though her attention was still on Loki. "A Veblen good – it's a term for an item whose price is based on perception of worth, not any actual value. It's like if we produced a StarkPhone and a slightly differently packaged StarkPhone Plus and charged several times as much for the Starkphone Plus despite the contents inside the cases being identical, and people then went out and bought the Plus version in droves just so they could say they had it. It's not _actually_ worth more, but because it's highly priced people have the perception of it being worth more. Drop the price difference to a more reasonable range and people wouldn't bother, they'd just get the regular version since it does all the same things."

"Oh... conspicuous consumption bragging rights. Like Hammer and that fancy car he drives. Car's a piece of crap but he brags about how much it cost him all the freakin' time."

"Exactly," Pepper said, finally looking back at Tony.

"So what Loki is saying is that these artworks by Hirst are only valued because of the size of the price tag attached to them?"

"Pretty much," she said, looking faintly amused.

"Wait... didn't my collection have some pieces by Hirst?"

"Yes it did, until you gave them all away," she said sternly, then turned back to Loki. "I'll let Steve know that you're more likely to enjoy a trip to the Metropolitan Museum than to MOMA. Good-night, boys," she added as she rose to her feet, bending down to kiss Tony's cheek and nodding to Loki as she left.

"Did I offend her?" Loki asked as he dropped down to take the seat she'd just abandoned.

"Maybe. She used to be the curator for the Stark Industries collection of modern art, which she was rather attached to before I gave it all away. Though I don't think the Hirst pieces were among her favourites, so maybe not? I don't know."

Loki nodded. "I will find some way to apologize, if needed," he said, and ate another spoonful of his ice cream, licking it from the spoon in a very suggestive manner, and looking at Tony while somehow maintaining a completely bland expression on his face.

"Fuck."

Loki grinned. "I'd like to," he said, and put aside the almost-empty bowl. "Bed?"

"Unless you'd rather be fucked through the couch, sure."

Loki paused, looking thoughtful. "Living room another time, perhaps. Right now I'd prefer an actual bed. We can negotiate as to which of us is actually getting fucked into it."

* * *

"Ready, Steve?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah, I think so. How do I look? I'm not too Grandpa or hipster, am I?" he asked dryly, both being things Tony had accused him of more than once.

Natasha smiled warmly at him. "The skinny jeans and chucks are a little hipster, but you look fine."

"I'll take your word for it," he said, smiling back at her, then slid his StarkPhone out of his pocket and checked the time. "We'd better get a move on, Loki should be ready by now."

" _Nari and Tony are on their way downstairs., Captain."_

"Thank you, Jarvis," Steve said, then gestured in the direction of the elevators. "After you."

Tony and Nari were waiting in the private lobby at the ground floor of the tower, standing close together and both slightly flushed. Natasha assumed they had just finished a parting kiss, and hid a smile at how transparent the affection between the pair was. Even when Loki was still in animal form it had been obvious to her that there was a bond forming between the pair, demonstrated in the gentle way Tony talked to and handled Loki, and the way Loki preferred to stay at his side whenever possible. She had worried about it at first, until it became clear to her that whatever was going on was good for Tony; among other things his care for Loki had led to him both sleeping and eating on a somewhat more regular basis, and cutting back on how frequently he drank.

"You'll all be careful, right?" Tony said, sounding just slightly anxious.

Steve smiled. "Don't worry, Tony, it's just a trip to the museum, Natasha and I will take good care of Nari."

"Yeah, I know," he said, and turned to look at Nari again, reaching out to touch his fingertips to her arm, his other hand shoved deep into one pocket, his tension obvious. "You have the phone I gave you?"

"Yes, Tony," Nari said, in the put-upon tone of voice of one who has already given the same assurance multiple times.

"Okay...well... have fun kids," Tony said, and walked over to the elevator as if to go back upstairs, though he stood by it, watching them, rather than boarding.

Steve smiled at Nari and Natasha, clearly a little nervous himself. Natasha exchanged a look with Nari, then marched over to the door leading out into the public lobby, Nari walking almost in step with her and Steve following on their heels. As was to be expected after the announcements of the preceding two days, there was a small cluster of reporters and photographers lingering outside the tower, who caught sight of them as soon as they emerged into the glassed-in main lobby, and were crowding close, shouting questions and taking photos, even before they emerged from the doors of the building.

Steve moved forward to field the questions, holding up his hands for quiet. "As mentioned during yesterday's press conference, Ms Nari is planning to see more of our city while she's here. Ms Romanov and I are escorting her to see one of the city's great cultural institutions today."

"Where are you going?" a reporter at the back of the group called out.

"In the interests of not disrupting things at the location in question, I prefer not to say," Steve said firmly. "Now, if you don't mind, our car is here..." he gestured to where one of Stark's cars was pulling up to the curb. The paparazzi grumbled a little, but parted to let them get to the car and go, cameras busy taking pictures of the three of them as Steve handed her and Nari into the back before getting into the front passenger seat himself.

They could have just as easily have left from the garage under the building, but the bit of street theatre of them visibly departing was part of the whole purpose of the day. A part that Natasha disliked, having yet to become used to being a more public person than she'd been prior to joining the Avengers. Having her face so well-known was unnerving in many ways, not least because she had old enemies who might well recognize her despite superficial changes she'd made over the years to things like her hair style and colour.

Their time at the museum proved to be a nicely relaxing afternoon, the three of them strolling through the galleries together, sometimes stopping in front of a painting or sculpture for some time before moving on. Steve always liked to get right up close to the paintings when he could to look at things like the brushwork, and how some guy hundreds of years ago had taken three colours of paint and five brushstrokes to make a gem that seemed almost real from anything beyond a couple of paces away.

Nari stayed mostly silent, but stood for minutes at a time in front of some of the pieces they saw, studying them just as intently as Steve did. She even sat on a bench for a long time near one of Van Gogh's Cypress paintings, expression curiously blank. Natasha eventually moved to sit down by her. "Do you like his work?"

Nari bit her lower lip for a moment. "He seems a troubled man," she said. "But the colours and forms..." she broke off, and lifted one hand, tracing a swirling shape in mid-air with her fingertips, then shrugged, and didn't say anything further, just rising to her feet and continuing on through the gallery.

Apart from the Van Gogh's, the other thing Nari seemed to find of considerable interest was when they were passing through some of the galleries of arms and armour. She largely ignored things like the sets of plate mail and horse armour, or antique firearms, but seemed charmed by some of the edged weapons on display, and spent most of an hour lingering in the gallery of Islamic arms and armour, making appreciative noises over the finely damascened blades, ornately etched helms and so forth.

"I feel like we could spend days here without seeing it all," Nari said when Steve and Natasha eventually insisted that it was time to begin making their way toward an exit.

"You could," Steve agreed. "Their collections are bigger than can be properly displayed at any one time, so a lot of items rotate in and out of storage; some of them are also too fragile for regular public display. And they're always acquiring new pieces."

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Natasha asked.

"Actually, yes, very much," Nari said, smiling briefly at the pair of them. "Among other things, it's very nice to be allowed outside of the tower again. I have spent longer contained in far worse places, but even the most pleasant location does wear on one after a while."

Steve smiled crookedly. "Yeah, it does," he agreed. "What say we stop somewhere and eat out instead of heading straight back?"

"I could eat," Natasha agreed.

Nari looked surprised, even hesitant for a moment, then shrugged and smiled agreeably. "As could I."

They end up in a basement-level bar on a nearby side-street, a place aiming for an English pub feel that Steve said reminded him only somewhat of the real thing. The food was at least reasonably good for bar food, and Steve being Steve they ordered quite a lot of it, Nari and Natasha sampling from the various plates and baskets while Steve methodically ate his way through things.

Natasha noticed that Nari, like herself, was actually putting away a considerable amount of food even while seeming only to snack. In Natasha's case the culprit was the weakened version of the super soldier serum that the Red Room had treated her with in her childhood, which in addition to some of the benefits of speed, strength and improved healing it had given Steve had also given her a number of the drawbacks, such as an increased metabolism that required a high daily caloric intake. Not to the scale in which his did, and thankfully her metabolism wasn't as hyper-efficient as his was at dealing with drugs, so things like painkillers were still effective on her – granted requiring higher doses – but it still meant she'd long since mastered the art of only appearing to eat lightly.

She supposed it made sense that Loki – or Nari – would also have a considerable appetite, when she thought of how much Thor could pack away at a single meal, though Nari didn't seem to be eating even half of what Thor would. On the other hand Thor had considerably more body mass than Loki, and Loki was a different species... but when he was shape-changed he didn't appear to eat more than what seemed a reasonable amount for the creature he looked like. She made note of it as something interesting to mention to Phil or Bruce.

"You know, I find myself wondering," Nari said quietly, "Wasn't the point of my being allowed out so that the public would see me among them doing innocuous things? Apart from when we set out, there have been no paparazzi around; how then does today's outing contribute to that?"

"Easily; there were a number of people who recognized us at the museum and took photos or videos that they'll be posting online," Natasha explained. "As well as two people here so far who've done the same."

Steve nodded. "And I checked in with Jarvis when we stopped here; he'll be anonymously tipping off some of the paparazzi, so expect cameras and possibly even a reporter or two to be waiting around outside when we leave."

Nari smiled thinly. "A properly devious method," she said, then started slightly when music started playing nearby; an 'Iron Man' ring-tone, Natasha noted, and wasn't surprised when Nari drew a StarkPhone from her pocket, carefully thumbing it on. "Yes, Tony? No, we're fine, we merely stopped to eat. I don't know, you would have to ask that of the others," she said, then rolled her eyes. " _No_ , Tony. We will be on our way back soon enough. No. _No_. Good-bye." She held her phone out towards Natasha. "Please send a picture of me to him to prove that we are _eating_ , not in dire straits somewhere."

Natasha snorted, but took the phone and quickly snapped a picture of Nari sitting leaning back in her chair with arms folded and a displeased frown on her face, several of the baskets and plates visible on the table in front of her, then forwarded it to Tony's number before handing the phone back.

They finished eating, Steve paying for their meal with his card while Natasha called for their driver to bring the car back and pick them up. As promised, there was a handful of paparazzi lurking outside the bar. Nari answered questions briefly, saying that they'd been to the museum and she'd enjoyed the exposure to some of earth's art and cultures very much, and was looking forward to future outings. Steve very firmly refused to answer any questions about possible future destinations, by which time the car had arrived to pick them up again. This time they entered the tower via the parking garage, rather than facing cameras a third time.

As soon as they were safely in the private elevator headed for the Avenger's floors, Loki changed back to his male form, and made a face. "As interesting as much of that was, I am glad it is over for the day," he said. "Jarvis, where is Tony?"

" _Mr Stark is in his lab. Would you like to be let off on that floor?_ "

"Yes, please," he said, then looked at Steve and Natasha as the elevator began to slow. "Thank you for this afternoon. It was far more enjoyable than I'd anticipated."

"You're welcome," Steve replied. "I always enjoy trips to the museums and art galleries; perhaps we can go again some time."

Loki nodded, and stepped off the elevator. As soon as the doors had closed behind him, Steve's shoulders dropped slightly, the almost rigid posture he'd had most of the afternoon fading away. "That went better than I'd thought it might," he admitted.

"You thought Loki might make a break for it? Or act out in some way?"

"I didn't think it was likely, given that he could have just left as soon as the spell broke, but... it was still a concern," Steve agreed, then looked at her enquiringly. "Join me for the evening?"

"I should go report to Phil first," she said. "Afterwards?"

"Sure."

See you then," she said, rising on tip-toe to kiss his cheek as they stopped at his floor.

He grinned, taking her hand and squeezing it lightly as he bent down to kiss her in return. "I'll be waiting."

"Down please, Jarvis," she said when the doors closed again.

" _Of course, Ms Romanov,_ " the AI said, directing the elevator to Coulson's floor.


	52. Impromptu Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very lengthy delay since the previous update. My writing brain appears to be back online now, and I'm writing a smutty scene for the next chapter in thanks for your patience in the month+ since I last posted. After which we'll be moving back to some more action-oriented parts of the story. Enjoy!

"Dude, why didn't you tell me about Nari sooner?" Darcy asked, punching Tony in the arm and frowning.

"She is Loki, right?" Jane asked, crossing her arms and giving Tony a slightly anxious questioning look.

" _Ow_. Yes, Nari is Loki, but that's not to be mentioned to anyone else, okay?" Tony said. "To anyone outside the Avengers and a handful of SHIELD people and I guess you two, there is no Loki here. There is only Nari. Loki is on Asgard in prison."

"As if I would tell anyone," Darcy said, rolling her eyes. Jane's only response was to give Tony an incredulous look, her eyebrows rising slightly. "Where is he anyway – she? Where is she?"

"Out. Steve and Natasha have taken her out to a museum, as part of making her visit here seem more,... well, more touristy, less of a threat."

"Calm the fears of everyone who saw big, green and scaly flying around the other day and panicked?" Darcy asked.

"Hopefully, yeah."

"So when do we get to meet Loki in his capable-of-talking form?"

"They stopped somewhere to eat, but I hope they'll be back soon," Tony said. "Jarvis, any word?"

" _Their driver picked them up outside the restaurant ten minutes ago; they should be arriving back at the Tower shortly._ "

"Restaurant? _Bar_ , Jarvis, Steve and Natasha took Loki to a bar," Tony said, and pulled out his StarkPhone, pulling up a photo before gesturing with the phone at Darcy and Jane, giving them a brief glimpse of Nari sitting somewhere with food, scowling at the camera. "See? Bar."

"That does indeed appear to be a bar," Jane agreed.

"A pub-style bar, yeah," Darcy said, leaning in for a closer look. "Now I want potato skins and cheese sticks."

"So do I," Tony said. "And nachos. Nachos with extra cheese and jalapenos."

"I am so with you on the nachos," Jane agreed. "Do we have the ingredients?"

"You know how to make nachos?" Tony asked, feeling both surprised and hopeful.

"Dude, what's to know?" Darcy asked. "It's like mostly just stuff out of bags and jars. Also, hello, we lived in New Mexico for over a year? We know how to make a hell of a lot more than just nachos."

" _All ingredients required for the majority of recipes for nachos are available in the kitchen on this level. Additional optional ingredients, as well as frozen pre-made potato skins and cheese sticks are available in the kitchen storage areas on the common level._ " Jarvis said.

"I'll go raid storage, you start on the nachos," Darcy said to Jane, then pointed at Tony. "You. Drinks. Preferably not tequila based."

"Bad tequila experience?" Tony asked, amused.

"New Mexico," the two women said in unison, even as Darcy walked off towards the elevators. Jane headed towards the kitchen.

"What do you prefer, rum? Vodka? Gin? Whiskey? Other?" Tony called after Jane as he made his way over to the bar.

"I think Darcy has yet to meet a drink she didn't like, or at least liked enough to try at least once anyway. Rum or gin for me, I suppose. Or something wine-based. Jarvis, tortilla chips and a baking sheet?"

" _Lower cupboard second to the left from the fridge, and the drawer under the main oven._ "

Tony decided to mix a pitcher of white rum based mango-lime margaritas. Darcy was back from downstairs by the time he had it blended, her arms full of boxes of pre-made appetizers. Tony carried the pitcher and glasses to the kitchen, pouring for the three of them while watching Darcy spread things out on baking sheets and put them in the oven. Jane, meanwhile, was dropping spoonfuls of salsa over a heap of tortilla chips, that were already topped with a scattering of jalapeno slices, green onions, and chopped bell peppers of various colours.

"Come help me make guac," Darcy said, having finished loading up the oven and now busy cutting apart avocados. "Chop that cilantro for me," she added, gesturing with her knife at a small pile of greenery sitting on the counter near her.

Tony had just started cutting it up when Loki swept into the kitchen, stopping for a moment at the sight of Jane and Darcy already there, before smiling widely at the three of them, showing his teeth. Jane paused in assembling the nachos – she was grating cheese over the pile of chips now – while Darcy merely looked at him for a moment over the top of her glasses and then gestured at him with her knife.

"You. Grab yourself a drink if you want one, and find me a lime and a red onion."

Loki smiled crookedly. "Of course," he said, and went over to the pantry cupboard beside the fridge, quickly turning up the two requested items, setting them down beside Darcy's cutting board before finding a glass for himself. He sat down on one of the stools opposite the three of them, and sipped at his drink, watching curiously as Tony inexpertly chopped up the cilantro and Darcy mashed the bowl full of avocado flesh with a fork. "Some of this food looks strangely familiar," he said lightly.

Tony grinned and glanced over at him. "Our hunger was inspired by the photo of you at that bar."

"So we're making bar food," Darcy said.

"Bar food and south-western food," Jane agreed.

"Well, mostly we're _making_ south-western food," Darcy clarified. "Other dishes come to us thanks to the wonders of modern flash freezing technology."

"Potato skins," Jane said.

"Cheese sticks," Darcy said.

"Did you get some of those flaky puff pastry appetizers?" Tony asked hopefully, glancing at Darcy.

"Two different boxes, big sis," Darcy said, nodding and looking pleased with herself. "And some sausage roll bites. Also mini quiche, and spanakopita rolls."

"We're making way too much food, aren't we," Tony said thoughtfully.

"That depends on if we try to eat this all ourselves or invite others to share," Jane pointed out.

Darcy grinned and tilted back her head. "Hey! Jarvis... tell the others, pot luck buffet at Stark's floor!"

" _Of course, Ms Lewis,_ " Jarvis said before Tony could object.

"Bah," Tony said peevishly. "I was hoping for a quiet evening in. Well, as quiet as an evening with you two hooligans could possibly be."

"Did you seriously just call us _hooligans?_ " Darcy asked, pausing in adding minced red onion and chopped cilantro to the bowl of guacamole.

"He called us hooligans," Jane confirmed, giving Tony a displeased look before carrying the baking sheet of nachos over to slip into the built-in pizza oven.

"Dude, you are _so_ spending way too much time hanging out with Grandpa Rogers," Darcy said sternly, then snorted. " _Hooligans._ "

"Don't you start," Tony told Loki, who had a suspiciously gleeful expression on his face.

"I wasn't planning to say anything at all," Loki said, overly innocently.

" _Captain Rogers and Ms Romanov have indicated that they will decline the invitation, having already eaten. Dr Banner has said he will be up shortly. Agent Coulson has indicated that both he and Agent Barton will be partaking in the pot luck as well. Ms Potts has also accepted the invitation._ "

Darcy grinned. "Thank you, Jarvis," she said in a sweetly sing-song tone of voice, smiling warmly up at the ceiling.

" _You're welcome, Ms Lewis._ "

"I suppose I better make some more margaritas," Tony said, feigning being annoyed at having his floor invaded again. Loki smiled and followed him out, taking a seat at the bar to watch while Tony set about making several pitchers of different flavours of daiquiris and margaritas.

Bruce showed up first, with a tray full of assorted flatbreads, vegetable crudites, and several dips. Darcy had just started pulling trays of baked appetizers from the oven, and everyone was soon engaged in ferrying out plates and platters full of things, putting them down wherever room could be found on the coffee and end tables scattered around the living area. Pepper showed up next, with a couple of large platters of sushi as her contribution to the feast, while Phil and Clint arrived last, carrying shopping bags full of assorted Mediterranean foods as their share; takeout containers full of falafel, kibbeh, stuffed grape leaves, skewers of kefta and chicken souvlaki, and two big dishes of tabbouleh and Greek salad.

Tony noticed Clint freeze for a moment when he first caught sight of Loki, still seated at the bar, but Clint didn't say anything, just stuck close to Phil, only leaving his side while filling plates for both of them. Loki helped Tony carry over the pitchers of margaritas and distribute glasses, then filled a plate for himself, diplomatically sitting down as far from Clint as the seating area would allow without making any obvious fuss over doing so. Tony plopped down beside him, stealing a falafel ball from Loki's plate despite having a plate full of food of his own. Loki scowled at that, and slapped Tony's hand when he tried to repeat the feat a couple of minutes later, then further retaliated by snagging a piece of salmon sashimi right out from under Tony's fingers and popping it whole into his own mouth.

Tony snorted, and looked away to find that he and Loki were the focus of most of the eyes in the room. Clint had a rather set non-expression on his face, while Phil, Pepper, Jane and Darcy all looked amused. Bruce was the only person who didn't seem to be paying any attention to them, though the slight smile on his face and the way he was keeping his eyes pointedly turned down to the plate of food he was assembling for himself was a tell that he was definitely aware.

Tony tried to keep his face straight, then gave in and laughed. "I know, yes, I am _such_ a child sometimes," he admitted grumpily, which made Pepper and Darcy both laugh and Bruce dart him and Loki a very amused look.

Tony settled back against the cushions, leaning sideways a little against Loki. Just a little, just enough to feel him there, warm and close. Loki shifted position slightly as well, his leg pressing firmly against Tony's. He took up space when he wanted to, Loki did – legs spread wide, elbows angled outwards as much as the space between them allowed. Tony found himself wondering if it was Loki's way of making himself noticed, a way of trying to take up as much space in the world as Thor did merely by existing, Thor being easily twice the width of his brother, though they pretty much the same in height.

"So how was your trip to the museum?" Phil asked. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Very much," Loki replied. "More than I expected to, actually. I would like to go again some time, and see more of the museum's collection."

"Who gets custody of Loki for an outing tomorrow?" Tony asked.

Pepper raised the end of her fork in the air. "Dibs. I've got a trip to our New Jersey facility the day after tomorrow, and then I'm heading down to Virginia the day after that, so if I'm going to take part in welcoming our alien visitor to New York, it either has to be tomorrow or several days from now. Natasha and I were thinking of taking Nari shopping and to my spa in the afternoon, and then we can meet up with Tony and anyone else who wants to attend for dinner somewhere fashionable."

"I'm jealous," Darcy said. "Tony took me to the spa a couple days ago and it was _awesome_."

Tony looked up from spearing food onto his fork to smile fondly at Darcy. "You just liked getting to paint my nails later."

"That was fun too," Darcy said complacently. "How's the pedicure holding up?"

Pepper laughed. "You let someone paint your nails? This I have to see."

Tony grinned, and toed off one shoe, then stepped on the end of his sock and lifted his foot to slide it out of the sock without having to put down his plate and fork. "Red and gold, of course," he said in a pleased tone of voice, pointing his toes as he displayed Darcy's handiwork.

"Very fancy," Clint said, sounding amused.

"Tony painted mine," Darcy said in a pleased tone of voice, kicking off her heels and then wiggling her toes to show off her own purple polish.

"Very nice," Pepper said approvingly. "Tony, why did you never paint my nails?"

"You never asked? Darcy kind of insisted."

"Good point," Pepper said. "Anyway, getting back on topic... shopping, spa, and dinner. Tony, you make the reservations, some place where the paparazzi are sure to take note of the three of us dining together."

"Sure," Tony said. "Can do. Should I be flirty or non-flirty in public?"

"As if anyone would believe you being non-flirty," Darcy said.

"I vote flirty as more believable too," Clint spoke up.

"Loki? Have a preference?" Tony asked, lifting one eyebrow and looking questioningly at him.

Loki smiled. "That depends... can I flirt back?"

"Babe, you can do whatever you want to," Tony said, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

"Within reason," Phil spoke up firmly. "Despite our efforts to make 'Nari' and her visit here seem innocent so as not to panic the general public, let's not forget that Loki is technically staying here as a prisoner, not an honoured guest."

"Yeah, not forgetting that any time soon," Clint agreed.

"Speaking of that technicality, has there been any word from Asgard yet?" Pepper asked.

"No," Jane said, scowling. "Not a peep. And judging by my readings, there's been no additional Einstein-Rosen Bridge related activity since shortly before Thor's last visit; whatever is going on in Asgard, I don't think they've been making any further progress on repairing the bridge."

"That does not sound like a good sign," Bruce said.

"No, it doesn't," Loki agreed, frowning. "Repairing the bridge will have been one of Asgard's highest priorities; much of their dominion over the other realms comes from its existence."

"Say, how did you and Thor get here from Asgard, anyway, if the bridge is still nonoperational?"

"The same way that Thor returned to earth during my attack last year," Loki said calmly. "Odin All-Father used dark magic to send us here, along one of the hidden paths."

"Hidden paths?" Bruce asked, looking curiously at Loki.

"Naturally occurring but unstable routes between worlds. They are dangerous, but passable to those strong enough... or desperate enough."

"Dangerous how?" Jane asked.

"A multitude of reasons. Some are unstable enough that they may close and reopen or narrow dangerously at random intervals. Some pass through regions that are inimical to unprotected travellers – poisoned air or none at all, places too hot or cold for unprotected flesh, gravity strong enough to kill a man, hostile inhabitants or wildlife and the like. If we think of the spaces between worlds as a river to be crossed, these are not a good stout bridge; rather they are stepping stones, fallen logs, shallow fords and the like – only the footing is unstable and instead of mere water it is some far more lethal substance, deadly in its own right."

"The floor is lava," Darcy muttered, which drew snorts or smiles from several of the people in the room. Tony caught the momentarily puzzled expression on Loki's face, and made mental note to explain the reference to him later.

"Oh, hey, speaking of bridges... since you're here anyway, Jane, would you like to take a look at the improved sensor I've been working on?" Tony asked. "Still needs some tweaking but it's mostly functional now, as far as Jarvis and I can tell."

Jane sat up straighter, and smiled. "I would love to," she agreed. "When?"

"As soon as we're finished eating?"

"Deal," she said, and resumed eating at a faster pace than before. Tony grinned, and quickly ate the last few pieces of food on his own plate as well.

* * *

The way Tony said "Pepper, why don't you and Loki discuss possible shopping destinations for tomorrow while I'm gone?" as he rose to his feet to leave made it quite clear that Loki wasn't included in the invitation to go down to the lab. He suppressed his initial irritation at that, knowing that there were things that Tony and his friends would not want him to be aware of about their activities, given that he was their enemy. Not really Tony's enemy, not any more, and perhaps with the first tentative overtures of friendship or at least neutrality having begun between him and some of the others, but still... he understood their caution. Even if it still stung, at least a little. Instead he simply leaned forward and served himself a small additional helping of some of the foods he'd enjoyed most from those on offer, ignoring whatever exchanges of looks may or may not have been going on around him while he did so before settling back in his seat again.

Bruce and Darcy had chosen to accompany Jane and Tony down to the lab. Clint looked like he wished to leave as well, but Phil didn't seem to be in any hurry to go – perhaps unwilling to leave Pepper alone in Loki's company – so Clint remained, making himself busy by starting to pack up the leftovers and stack the empty dishes.

"This was most pleasant," Loki said. "Thank you. Did you have a destination in mind for tomorrow, Ms Potts?"

"Please, call me Pepper," she said, then smiled and shrugged slightly. "Natasha and I have a number of favourite places to shop. I was thinking we might start by visiting two or three of them, and then choose any additional destinations based on what we've seen of your taste in clothing style."

"That sounds both sensible and acceptable," Loki agreed.

"Excellent," Pepper said, then turned to look at Phil. "I assume you and SHIELD have some conditions relating to Loki leaving the building?"

Phil nodded. "Yes, the main one of which you've already satisfied by including Natasha – that Loki always be accompanied by at least one Avenger when outside the building. I'd appreciate it if you could also inform me of anywhere you're going, starting with a list of the destinations you and Natasha initially intend to visit. I'll arrange for Natasha to keep me informed as additional destinations are determined."

"You'll be keeping a secondary group of your agents somewhere close to hand then, I take it?" Loki asked, and smiled at the looks Phil and Clint both gave him. "Please, I have been a Prince of Asgard for my entire life – a lifespan many times longer than what any mere human could expect to live – and a member on more than one diplomatic mission to other realms during that time; I would have to be an utter fool to not know how a protective detail works by now. Especially having had the responsibility of leading such on several occasions, when acting as host for foreign dignitaries."

Clint grimaced. "I hope that means you're not the kind of guy who thinks it's all fun and games to give your guards the slip."

Loki grinned toothily, amused. "Mostly not – the few times I did so were mainly at Thor's instigation."

"Mainly. Not always?" Phil asked.

Loki shrugged, grinned again. "I am known as a trickster; it is difficult to arrange a prank while under guard. Though I have done so, when that was my only choice."

"You fill me with reassurance," Clint said, voice flat and on the edge of hostile.

Loki met his eyes, shrugged again – a very minor movement this time, a bare twitch of shoulders – with no grin now. "I doubt anything I can do or say will ever fully reassure you."

"Probably not," Clint agreed.

An awkward silence stretched out, until Pepper cleared her throat. "Well. As mostly pleasant as much of this has been, I have work to get done this evening before our west coast offices close. Loki, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Clint, Phil, I hope you'll join us for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Sure," Clint said, grimacing just slightly at the prospect.

"Clint, why don't you take those leftovers down to the common floor," Phil said. "Loki, do you mind if I stay a little longer?"

Loki raised his eyebrows a little. "Not at all," he said, glancing at a visibly unhappy Clint.

"I'll help you carry those, Clint," Pepper volunteered. "Should we leave anything up here for you and Tony?" she asked Loki.

"Thank you, yes, some of the appetizers perhaps?"

Clint nodded and set aside a couple of the containers, then he and Pepper gathered up the remainder and left, Clint looking distinctly unhappy to be leaving Phil on his own with Loki.

"Drink?" Loki asked, gesturing at the cluster of glass pitchers with tail-ends of melting margaritas and daiquiris in them. "Or I could fetch you something fresher from the bar."

Phil smiled thinly and shook his head. "No, thank you. I won't be staying that long."

Loki nodded, and poured the remains of a couple into his own glass to top it up, before settling back and looking questioningly at Phil. "Your reason for staying? Clearly you have something you wish to speak of."

"Yes," Phil agreed, then pursed his lips for a moment, frowning in thought before resuming speaking. "You've been quite willing to talk to us about the chitauri, the Other, Thanos... clearly because they are as much as danger to you as they are to us, perhaps even more so since you believe they bear a grudge against you now for the failure of their attack and the death of some part of their forces. I have been tasked with finding out if you'd be willing to speak of... other forces in the Nine Realms."

"Aahhhh. Asgard," Loki said.

Phil gave a very small nod. "Anything you can tell us about any of the other realms, really, but yes, especially anything you can tell us of Asgard. They claim – Thor in particular claims – to have us under their protection. But..." he shrugged.

"You wonder if it is the protection a father shows to his children, or that which a farmer provides to his livestock, or a hunter to the forest he seeks game within."

"Frankly, yes," Phil said. "Thor has been willing to tell us something about your – and his – history, the events that led to his exile here and your later attack with the chitauri, but only in broadest strokes and avoiding detail as much as he could. You knew of the Phase Two weaponry that SHIELD was working on, correct?"

Loki nodded, amused. "Yes, I was very aware of its existence. What was the justification your director had for it again? Something about Thor's presence on Earth having demonstrated the need for it?"

Phil nodded. "Yes. Thor said that our tampering with the Tesseract and creation of such weapons signalled to others that we were ready for 'a higher form of war', or words to that effect, I've been told."

Loki nodded in turn. "He was not incorrect. It was the initial use of the Tesseract several decades ago that first drew the attention of Thanos to this planet. The Tesseract is a very old and very powerful artifact; powerful enough that even Odin and his father before him, Bor, feared to make any use of it, and were both satisfied to hide it away from the use of any other as the wisest course. Even with Midgard being under Asgard's protection and declared off-limits for warfare from the other realms... well, that only protects Earth from those who listen to Asgard's rulings. Creatures like the chitauri are not from within the Nine Realms, and only really pay any attention to the words from Odin's mouth as long as the risk outweighs the reward."

"And the Tesseract was a very large reward."

"Unimaginably so, yes. Midgard was safe from attention while you were perceived as nought but a backwards, technically illiterate society. Like a fawn hiding motionless in the shadows, ignored while the wolves sought larger, more filling prey."

"And now we've been spotted moving."

Loki grinned again. "Yes. And many eyes have turned your way. Thanos, The Other, the chitauri... assuming they have survived having drawn Asgard's ire, they are only the first and not necessarily the worst of the beings that have now taken note that Midgard may be worth taking a closer look at. The protection of Asgard in general and Thor in particular will still shield you from much, but now that you have so spectacularly broken cover, you will not be so easily forgotten again."

"Charming," Phil said, dryly, then fell silent again, crossing his arms as his forehead furrowed in thought again.

Loki waited patiently, sure the man was far from finished, and topped up his drink again, stirring it while he re-froze the contents of his glass back to the correct slushy consistency. He glanced up to find Phil watching him with a faintly amused expression on his face, and lifted an eyebrow questioningly at him.

Phil smiled crookedly. "There is something unsettling about seeing such a casual use of magic."

"Why? Because magic is something unfamiliar to you, outside of wild fantasy and children's stories?"

"Partially that, maybe, but mostly I think because such casual use suggests that it's not something you need to horde."

Loki grinned, and took a sip of the flavourful slush before answering. "I don't," he agreed. "Sufficiently prolonged or widespread use of it can drain me, yes, but something like this takes no more effort than breathing; I regain energy faster than I have spent it, for actions this minor." He sipped from the drink again, then looked pointedly at Phil. "You have further questions about Asgard; many of them, I would assume."

"Yes. More than you can likely answer tonight, assuming you're even willing to answer most of them, which I don't assume will be the case."

Loki watched him thoughtfully for a moment. "There is one that bothers you the most of all, not necessarily the most important, but one which itches at your thoughts and distracts you. Ask me that one."

Phil lifted an eyebrow. "You're very good at reading people."

"Yes, and that is not the question you are anxious to ask."

Phil uncrossed his arms, and made a gesture with one hand, as if tossing something aside. "You're right. I mentioned earlier that Thor had spoken to us of your history, at least a little. One thing he spoke of was how you attacked the world of Jotunheim, using the Bifrost to do so. He had only spoken of it as a means of travel, before – Dr Foster's theories about the Einstein-Rosen bridge never mentioned any destructive capabilities related to them either."

"And you are wondering if it being useful as a means of destruction and not just travel is purposeful, to which I can only say that, yes, it is," Loki said, and then paused, frowning down at the glass in his hand as he organized his thoughts. "In my reading on recent earth cultures and history, I came across a term. _Nuclear deterrent_. You are familiar with it, I assume?"

"Very," Phil said, even more dryly than usual. "You are saying that the Bifrost is such?"

"Yes. Very much so. If you ever wondered why the Aesir still fight with swords and shield, hammer, spears, bow and arrow, other weapons that largely place their users at risk and limit the scope of warfare, the Bifrost is part of the reason why. There are weapons in the realms and the universe at large that make your nuclear weapons seem as harmless as a thrown pebble, less damaging than dust in the wind. The Tesseract is a mere part of one such, and you have seen some evidence of how powerful it was on its own. Imagine wars in which such weapons were used; weapons that could eliminate not just mere cities, nor even planets, but destroy entire solar systems, decimate galaxies. There are those who would make use of such, and not blink at the cost in lives – rather, would revel in it, as Thanos does. But at a critical point the Aesir and the Vanir and others decided the cost was too high. Those who would unleash such destructive forces were defeated – narrowly so, at very much the eleventh hour, but it was accomplished. The great weapons were destroyed, dismantled, hidden away, in whatever means could be accomplished, and Asgard, which lies at the heart of the Nine Realms, enforced a rule of limited warfare."

"Enforced with the threat of the Bifrost."

"Yes. There are other means of travel, and places where it does not reach, but the alliance of the Realms under the rule of Asgard was sufficient to enforce their rules of warfare throughout most of known space. It is only in the deep darks where such as the chitauri dwell – and far worse things – that more wide-spread battles can and do still occur. But do not believe that the Aesir and their allies have disarmed themselves and would be unable to face the threat of such war again; there is a vault on Asgard where the most controllable of the great weapons still remain, relics of a more destructive past, and those who still keep the secrets of where others have been hidden."

"I don't entirely understand why Earth, Midgard, was included within the realms, when we were a 'backwards and technically illiterate' society." Phil said, frowning slightly.

Loki grinned toothily at him. "Geography. In the space through which the Bifrost travels, which bears little or no relation to physical space, you are a close and convenient location; like Sicily to Italy, or Ireland to England, or England to France for that matter. Of little value at the time of the formation of the realms, but with the potential to some day become a worthy ally."

"And worth guarding to be certain that no one else used us as a convenient beachhead?"

"Exactly," Loki agreed, showing teeth again. "Several of the realms would be enemies of Asgard – are enemies, really, were it not for the continued threat of the Bifrost. Jotunheim, Muspelheim... Svartalfheim goes back and forth on it depending on the character of whomever currently sits the throne. Midgard is at least neutral, or has been until now, while Asgard stood as gatekeeper between you and the other realms. While the protection has benefited you, do not doubt that it was for selfish reasons. Somewhere in between the father guarding his children, and the farmer his flock; the Aesir have no plans to cull or harvest you, at least that I am aware of, but it is not an entirely selfless protection you have been given."

Phil pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "Thank you. You've given me a lot of food for thought."

Loki nodded. "You are most welcome."

"May I talk to you again some time?"

"Of course. I cannot guarantee I can or will answer everything you ask, but I am open to being asked."

Phil nodded, then set his chair in motion, heading off the the elevators. Loki got up and put the couple of containers of leftovers in the fridge, then stood looking at the remaining mess from the impromptu party. "Should I clean this up, or do you have remotes for it, Jarvis?"

" _Help would be appreciated,_ " Jarvis admitted. " _The pitchers and several of the serving platters are of a size or weight I would have some difficulty handling._ "

Loki nodded, and started gathering up the glass pitchers with their assorted dregs of various colours. "Some music please, Jarvis – something mellow, I think."


	53. Taking the Scenic Route

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry this has taken so long. Got a big chunk of it written in the first couple days after my last update, and then tripped and fell into a massive addiction/obsession with Flight Rising. But it's smut! Compensatory smut! And my obsession has dialed back to the point I'm getting other things done than checking AH and doing fairgrounds/coliseum every possible moment of the day.

The penthouse was darkened when Tony returned upstairs, apart from a single light focused on where Loki sat curled up at one end of the couch, a mug in one hand and a large book spread across his lap. He looked up as Tony walked towards him, and smiled warmly. Tony smiled back, then leaned down to kiss him in greeting. He tasted like chocolate and marshmallows.

"What's that you're reading?" Tony asked as he dropped down to sit beside him, craning his head to get a look at the page. "I didn't think I had any dead tree books that big."

"Something Bruce loaned me. It's a book comparing ancient religious buildings."

"Mosques and cathedrals? Didn't think that kind of thing was an interest of yours."

Loki smiled, giving Tony an amused look. "Much more than just those. Places of worship from all around the world, going back for longer than I've been alive. It's fascinating, and sometimes quite disturbing. Look at this carving – human sacrifice."

"Yuck. Think they were worshipping one of you guys?"

Loki wrinkled his nose. "It's possible; though not all past visitors to Midgard would have been Aesir. It's equally likely to have been some other race. Not that the Aesir aren't without their devotees of pointless brutality; every society has its dregs, or those disturbed in mi..." He broke off, frowning, and abruptly closed and set aside the book.

Tony grabbed Loki's hand and rose to his feet, tugging to get Loki to stand as well. "Come on, bedtime. I missed having you around today."

Loki smiled, and let himself be pulled along. "I missed you as well. We have spent very little time apart, since I came," he said, then stopped and scowled at Tony. " _No_ silly comments."

"Not even that I'm glad you did? And that I want to make you do so again?" Tony asked, and waggled his eyebrows at Loki. Loki's scowl deepened, but at the same time one corner of his mouth twitched in what was obviously a fight to keep a smile from crossing his face. Tony pulled him closer, and leaned up to kiss that corner of his lips.

"Fool," Loki said softly, but the scowl went away, and he resumed walking in the direction of the bedroom, pulling on Tony's hand now instead of the other way around. "You may try," he said, in the voice of one granting a favour.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I can do more than just _try_ ," Tony said. "You prefer to do or be done by, tonight?"

Loki sniffed. "Be done by, I suppose, though that might change if you manage to interest me sufficiently."

Tony grinned. "Is that a challenge? I'm going to take that as a challenge. Shower?"

"Certainly. I've been walking around outside of the tower most of the day, being clean before we begin would be pleasant, even if we are going to end up needing to shower again later."

Tony smiled as he took the lead, steering Loki toward the bathroom. "We can begin while getting clean, you know. There are reasons for things like the bench seat in the shower, and not just that I'm sometimes too tired to stay on my feet through a shower, and waaaay too exhausted to safely take a bath."

That got an interested look from Loki, and Tony soon had them both naked in the shower stall, happily taking advantage of offering to tend to Loki as an excuse to run soap-slicked hands all over him. Loki seemed both amused and appreciative, arching under or pressing into Tony's hands as seemed appropriate to him, a flushed hue gradually spreading from cheeks down neck to upper chest as Tony's hands worked over his flesh.

"You can reciprocate, you know," Tony pointed out after a while, his own voice rough with arousal. Loki said nothing, but he snatched up a bottle of shampoo and squeezed some over Tony's hair, then began working it in with both hands, an almost disdainful expression on his face. Despite his abruptness and his expression, his hands were gentle, his fingers massaging Tony's scalp in a very pleasant way that had the shorter man closing his eyes and leaning into Loki's touch.

"You missed a spot," Loki said quietly, drawing Tony's attention to the fact that he'd gone still, his own hands resting motionless against Loki's skin.

"I'm sure I've missed more than just one, babe," Tony said, opening his eyes and smiling warmly up at Loki even as his hands resumed stroking over Loki's skin.

" _Babe?_ " Loki said, tone incredulous, his hands ceasing their movement.

"Honey-boo?"

"Only if you wish your heart ripped from your chest," Loki said, scowling.

"Sweetheart? Darling?"

Loki sniffed. "Only slightly more acceptable. My proper name is preferred."

"Fine, Loki it is then, at least until I think of something you'll allow. You're welcome to use pet-names for me, by the way, I kind of enjoy them, at least when they're from someone I like."

"You certainly enjoy bestowing them on other people," Loki said, tone still sharp but sounding mollified, and finally resumed washing Tony's hair. "And not just on people you like."

Tony wrinkled his nose. "There's pet names and then there's nick names, and I sometimes get a little malicious with the latter."

"As I recall. _Reindeer Games_."

"Okay, so maybe you have reason to be leery of my calling you something other than your proper name," Tony agreed. "Does it help that I do it to pretty much everyone?"

"No, no more than a cat that scratches everyone it meets can have its bad behaviour praised."

"Ouch. Okay, new tactic, distraction time..." Tony said, then leaned forward to lick and suck at one of Loki's nipples.

Loki inhaled sharply. "That... is acceptable," he said, voice a little breathless. His hands migrated from Tony's head down to his shoulders, fingers flexing against his skin, moaning just a little as Tony switched his attentions to the opposite side of Loki's chest. Tony made a pleased sound of his own, his hands slipping down to cup and squeeze Loki's buttocks, drawing another sound of pleasure from him.

"You like that, yeah?" Tony asked breathlessly, as he backed off for a moment, tilting his head back to look up at Loki. Darkly blown eyes looked back at him, then Loki's fingers tangled in his hair again, not to lather it further but to tilt Tony's head further back, Loki leaning down to give him a heated kiss. Tony groaned, then moaned as Loki took advantage of his mouth opening to lick into it. He kneaded at Loki's buttocks, pulling him closer, enjoying the feeling of Loki's heated erection pressing against him. Loki flexed his hips a little, rutting against Tony's stomach and groaning into his mouth as he did so.

Tony finally drew back, light-headed from breathlessness. "How about you take a seat?" he asked, leaning against Loki to push him towards the back of the shower stall.

Loki lifted an eyebrow, then glanced backwards to see where the built-in bench seat was. He backed up the step necessary to sit down, letting his hand slide down Tony's arms to grasp his wrists and tug him along with him. He grinned toothily up at Tony as he made himself comfortable, his knees falling open. "And now?" he asked, voice husky.

"And now I blow your mind, among other things," Tony said, freeing one hand so that he could open one of the waterproofed cubbies set in the back wall to pull out a foam pad, which he dropped to the floor between Loki's feet before lowering himself to kneel on it. "Tile is hell on knees, and I'm not as young as I used to be," he commented to Loki as he did so.

Loki snorted, and shifted forward a little on the seat, so that he was balanced on the edge of it, and watched as Tony braced his hands on Loki's thighs before leaning forward and down to lick up the underside of his erection, tongue flattening against the width of it. Loki sucked in air through his nose, back stiffening at the sensation, then moaned as Tony tongued at the frenulum, gasping and arching his back a little as Tony moved on to tongue the opening in the glans, already leaking pre-come.

Tony grinned briefly at Loki, enjoying his reaction, then lowered his head again, closing his mouth around the top inch or two of Loki's cock, sucking while working the flat of his tongue against the head and underside of it. Loki's reaction to that was noticeably louder, though just as wordless. Tony hummed in pleasure as Loki's hands moved back to Tony's head again, finger-combing his hair back from his face before closing lightly around either side of his head; not holding him in place, just maintaining a light contact with his head as he dipped and slowly pulled back, sucking rhythmically. Tony's own erection was aching for stimulation, but he was in no rush to come just yet, Loki having noticeably more stamina in that regards than he did.

He moved his hands from Loki's thighs, using one to gently knead Loki's balls while he closed the fingers of his other hand around the base of Loki's shaft, working at the part that didn't fit in his mouth, not feeling up to attempting to deep throat Loki just yet. Loki groaned, head arching back as far as the wall would allow. Tony dipped his head again, taking in as much as he comfortably could, and pressed with a couple of fingers behind Loki's balls while continuing to massage them with his remaining fingers. Loki came with a shout that echoed off the tiles, Tony humming in satisfaction as he sucked and swallowed repeatedly.

"Good?" he asked as he finally let Loki's softening erection slip free of his mouth.

Loki gave a short laugh, and tightened his grip in Tony's hair for a moment, tugging gently at it. "Good enough," he said, then sat up and curled forward, capturing Tony's mouth in a soft kiss. He straightened up, releasing his hold on Tony's head, and pushed at one of his shoulders. "Time to rinse off and move to a softer location."

Tony grinned and pushed himself up off the floor, snatching up the foam pad as he rose and returning it to where he'd got it from. Loki stood as he stepped back, and turned to eye the panels in the wall marking where several similar cubbies of various sizes were. "Remind me to see what other things you have hidden away some time," he said, sounding amused, then turned and made a shooing gesture at Tony, who was between him and the entrance of the shower area.

Tony quickly rinsed off and then stepped out of the stall, grabbing one of the oversized bath sheets from a nearby warming rack to begin drying off while Loki rinsed off as well, dabbing carefully around his own slackening erection. They were soon back out in the bedroom, wrapped in towelling robes and drying their hair so as not to get the bedding too wet. Not that it was going to make much of a difference in the long run, Tony thought – judging by past performance, the bedding would be in need of a wash by the time they were through anyway. Still, better dry or at worst slightly damp bedding to start than soaking wet in patches now and all cold and clammy later.

Loki threw aside his towel and sprawled out on the bed, robe falling open. Tony found himself admiring the contrast between Loki's pale skin and the velvety black robe he was lying on, how it brought out the subtle tones of his usually rather colourless complexion. He was all pink and cream against black, with bright green eyes and a scattering of moles across his torso that Tony itched to map by touch. Or maybe by tongue. Or both, that might be fun. He could feel himself hardening from half-mast again at the thought of it.

He realized that Loki was watching him, an amused expression on his face and one eyebrow raised. "Mind wandering?" Loki asked.

"Yeah, it's taking the scenic route," Tony said, slipping off his own robe and allowing it to drop to the floor as he moved to join Loki on the bed. "Very scenic. A stunning panorama," he continued, voice dropping as he stretched out on the bed and reached out to run one hand along Loki's body, from chest down to thigh. "Well, hello," he added, smirking at Loki's renewed erection.

Loki snorted, then stretched like a cat, hands outstretched over his head and toes pointed, his back arching a little from the bed. Tony shifted closer as he did so, until he was almost pressed against Loki's side, hand sliding back up to rest on Loki's stomach, other hand propping his head up on one elbow.

Loki relaxed out of his stretch, one hand moving to finger-comb through Tony's hair, the other coming to rest over Tony's hand on his own stomach. Tony smiled and interlaced their fingers together. "So... any preferences on what we do next?"

Loki shrugged, and massaged at Tony's scalp. "Surprise me," he said, giving Tony a sideways look – an almost challenging one, Tony decided, as if Loki wasn't sure that he could do so.

Tony grinned, then rolled closer to him, leaning down to tease with the tip of his tongue at a small mole on Loki's bicep. He kissed a smaller one on the curve of Loki's shoulder, then shifted even closer and nuzzled with nose and lips at a trio of then that bridged over his collarbone.

"Whatever _are_ you doing?" Loki asked, sounding faintly perplexed, head lifted to frown at Tony.

"Exploring," Tony said, and moved to straddle Loki's thighs, planting his hands to either side of his shoulders. "You're almost remarkably unmarked, apart from these. Lovely. Little. Moles," he explained, leaning down to kiss or lick or nip at one after each of the last few words, then paused, looking searchingly at Loki's still-frowning face. "I'd have expected you to be at least a _little_ battle-scarred, the way you fight."

Loki smirked. "One of the benefits of my magic use – I heal both quickly and well. I have a few scars, but almost without exception they are all ones I have chosen to keep for one reason or another."

"Really? I'll have to find them then," Tony said, and leaned down to lick at a slightly raised mole near the lower edge of Loki's ribs, then stopped and looked at Loki again. "You're not ticklish, are you? Wouldn't want to accidentally tickle you and make you mad."

Loki smiled slightly. "No, I'm not ticklish," he said, and then dropped his head back to the bed, closing his eyes. "You may continue," he said, in an absurdly regal tone of voice,

Tony grinned, deciding that Loki's casual manner was probably an indication that he was actually enjoying Tony's attentions, and resumed his exploration, working his way down the left side of Loki's body. As he moved down the bed to reach a couple of moles on Loki's thigh, he noticed that Loki's cock was very definitely betraying his interest in the proceedings. He leaned down and gave a wet, open-mouthed kiss to Loki's inner thigh.

"I have no mark there," Loki pointed out in a seemingly bored tone of voice.

"No? Then I'll have to make one," Tony said, and sucked hard on the skin, feeling pleased at the soft gasp that Loki made in response. He kissed and licked his way upwards, pushing Loki's legs apart to give him better access to the skin there, and then paused again. "Oh look, a scar," he said, and rubbed his thumb along the thin line almost hidden in the crease of Loki's leg. "Scarily close to the wedding tackle."

"Which is why I kept that one – a reminder to myself to never trust that a man being down means that he's entirely out of the fight. If Hogun had not pulled me back... well, it would have taken considerably more healing than it did."

Tony hummed in acknowledgement, and licked lightly along the scar a couple of times before resuming looking for more moles and marks, losing himself for a while in the search, only partially aware of the effect his progress was having on Loki, the way the other man's breath would catch or rasp, his body stiffening at times, arching away from or into Tony's touch. Tony didn't have to say anything to get Loki to change positions, just press firmly here or there to urge him to move or lift limbs, to roll onto his side, his back, over onto his stomach, as Tony ran his hands repeatedly over every inch of him, lips and tongue teasing or tracing every mole and mark. Finally they found themselves in much the position they had started in, Tony straddling Loki's thighs, though kneeling upright now, one of Loki's hands gripping tightly on his knee, the other cupped between both of Tony's. Tony lifted Loki's hand to his mouth, tongued at a last faint speckle on the webbing between Loki's pointer and middle fingers, then turned Loki's hand over and pressed a kiss to his palm.

"You are _maddening_ ," Loki rasped out, voice wrecked, then pulled his hand free and rolled, grasping Tony's shoulders and flipping him sideways at the same time. Tony yelped in startlement, as he suddenly found himself pinned on the mattress, Loki between his legs, an intent look on his face as he leaned over Tony. "My turn," Loki said, and leaned down to nip at Tony's collarbone before kissing his way up the line of his throat, pausing to suck at the skin just under the edge of his jaw.

"That's going to show," Tony said, breathlessly.

" _Good_ ," Loki said, sounding pleased with himself, and then kissed Tony on the mouth, all heat and tongue and slick moisture. Tony moaned and shut his eyes, mouth falling open further as he concentrated on how good it felt as Loki's kiss went on and on and on, broken by only occasional gasps for air until he was dizzy with the breathless intensity of it, gone limp – except in one important place – with the drawn-out pleasure.

"Stark," Loki said, voice low and rough, and only then did Tony realize that the kiss had ended some seconds before. It took effort to open his eyes, muzzy-headed as he felt, to return the look of the man still pinning him down. The faintest of smile-lines appeared at the outer corners of Loki's eyes. "Tony," he said this time, and then released Tony's wrists and shifted away.

"No..." Tony said, thinking for a moment that Loki was getting up off the bed, leaving, but then Loki leaned down to kiss the flesh just above the embedded arc reactor, to one side of it, below, nuzzling into the trail of dark hair down his stomach before taking Tony's length into his mouth, easily engulfing him. " _Oh,_ " Tony gasped, tensing with the effort of not thrusting further into the wet heat enveloping him, then whimpered as Loki slowly drew back, sucking and working his tongue against Tony's flesh as he did so. "Oh fuck. _Fuck_... Loki..."

Loki laughed softly as he lifted his head enough to give Tony an intense look, licking at spit-slicked lips for a moment before he spoke. "I do believe I shall," he said, and grinned wolfishly for a moment before he leaned down enough to flick his tongue over the end of Tony's cock. "You have succeeded in gaining my interest."

He did move away then, just long enough to fetch lube and a condom from the bedside table; the Aesir handled things differently, he had told Tony the first time he'd been handed a condom, but accepted that mere humans were more limited in their methods of protection, and willingly made use of them.

Tony groaned at the feeling of Loki's long thin fingers breaching him, opening him a little more quickly and roughly than was strictly comfortable, though the discomfort was quickly forgotten as Loki's fingers flexed and bent, finding and massaging his prostate. He moaned unashamedly at the feeling, head falling back and eyes closing again, letting Loki do whatever he liked.

What Loki liked, it seemed, was to shift to a kneeling position a couple of minutes later and turn Tony over onto his side, coaxing him into folding his upper leg upwards against his chest while Loki moved to straddle his lower thigh and then slowly entered him, pressing steadily inwards. The position wasn't very comfortable for Tony, putting uneven pressure on the arc reactor embedded in his chest as it did, but before he could complain Loki seemed to guess at his discomfort and repositioned Tony's leg, letting it partially unfold and slipping one arm in back of Tony's knee to support it.

"Better?" Loki asked, voice low and warm.

"Yeah," Tony agreed breathlessly. "You going to move or just sit there?"

His only answer was a smirk, then Loki began to thrust, short slow strokes at first, lengthening and strengthening as they adjusted to each other. Tony let his head drop back and eyes close, enjoying the pistoning slide of Loki's flesh within his own, aware of the noises Loki made – of the ones he himself made – as they moved together. The only sounds for a few minutes was the slap of flesh against flesh, their gasps and grunts.

"Stark... _Tony_ ," Loki rasped out after a while. Tony opened his eyes and looked up at him, the intense expression in Loki's eyes sending a shiver through him. Loki ducked his head slightly, biting at his lower lip as he leaned forward while hauling Tony's leg upwards a little further, changing the angle of his thrusts.

Tony yelped at the change in position, then made a sound he declined to admit to at the way it felt when Loki thrust in again, the head of his cock dragging deliciously over just the right spot inside. "Oh, fuck... _fuck_... oh god..."

Loki grinned toothily at him for a moment, and thrust harder. Tony cried out again, ever as he reached above his head to brace his hands against the headboard to prevent himself from skidding across the sheets from the force of Loki's movements.

"Am I your god, Stark?" Loki asked, voice low and breathless, the intensity of his gaze increasing.

"As long as you... oh, _fuck_... keep doing that, sure," Tony answered between gasps.

Loki gave a short huff of a laugh, grinning again. "I do like you like this," he said breathlessly. "On your back and spread for me."

"I could say the same, princess."

For a moment Loki's pace stuttered, paused, a look of mixed annoyance and disbelief on his face, and then he laughed, looking suddenly delighted. "Perhaps we'll try that next," he said, and resumed his movement.

"Me fucking you? All for it," Tony said, then howled as Loki caught his cock in an almost-too-tight grip, giving Tony a warning look even as he began to stroke, his hand slick with something despite the apparent lack of any application of lube. One of the benefits of being screwed by a sorcerer, Tony thought, before he lost the ability for any coherent thought that wasn't focused on experiencing an overwhelming orgasm. He was dimly aware of Loki's pace changing, of the cry he gave as he followed Tony over the edge.

"So you don't mind me calling you princess?" Tony asked once he had the breath for it again, sprawled out flat and lax on his back with Loki's rather heavy self draped limply over him.

Loki turned his head enough to look at Tony. "Though you did not mean it so, there are times when it is a true title for me."

"Right. Shapechanger," Tony said, and carded his fingers through Loki's damp hair, pushing it back from his face. The faintest of smiles crossed Loki's lips, his eyelids closing a little in apparent pleasure. "So when you said try that next, you meant me and Nari? Nari and I. Whatever."

Loki's eyes closed further, and he hummed briefly before answering. "Nari, perhaps. Or just me, female," he said, and a wave of subtle – and, okay, a few not-so-subtle – changes swept over him, his hair lengthening and gaining a bit more wave to it, the angular lines of his face softening slightly, his flat chest swelling into breasts, with a certain sudden lack of protruding genitalia. Loki squirmed a bit, lifting her noticeably wider hips and reaching down between them to pull out and tie off the used condom, flicking it into mid-air where it vanished as it if had never existed.

"Wow," Tony said softly. "Yeah, this could be fun."

Nari smiled, and stretched upwards to kiss Tony softly on the corner of his mouth. "Once you've rested a little," she said. "I know you need more recovery time than I would."

"Ouch. Yes, true, but _ouch_."

Nari snorted and smiled, and lowered her head back down to Tony's chest, turning it sideways, tucking her arms in around Tony's sides. Tony barely hesitated before bringing his own arms up to enfold Nari in a careful hug. Nari made a pleased sound, squirming slightly to a more comfortable position, then sighed and went limp. Asleep, Tony thought, and was surprised by how quickly and suddenly Nari had dropped off.

He liked this, Tony decided; liked what it seemed to say about how deep the trust between them had become. He closed his own eyes, and despite a certain degree of uncomfortableness from having Nari draped over him, soon drifted off to sleep as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lair full of dragons can be seen [here](http://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=65352&page=1). And yes, yes I _am_ trying to breed a Loki dragon. I have very specific colours in mind for him, and once my breeding pair of Farbuti and Laufey manage to produce him, he should look like this:
> 
>  


	54. Bakery Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry for how long it's been since I last updated this. My writing brain was largely AWOL for most of 2014, and the attempts I made to kick-start it by taking part in big bangs, taking prompts, etc., mainly just made it go even deeper into hiding. I think I've finally managed to lure it back out into the open, and am looking forward to finishing work on this and some of my older WIPs, as well as eventually tackling several newer stories I've had floating around in my head for the last year. I have missed writing so much, but the words just haven't been wanting to flow until now.

"A bakery run?" Loki repeated Bruce's words uncertainly, as he put his empty plate into the dishwasher.

"Yeah. I go once or twice a week. It's just a few blocks away. They make excellent pastries," Bruce explained, looking a little uncertain himself.

Loki belatedly remembered Tony's suggestion that Nari make a public appearance with Bruce, going out for coffee or to a bakery Bruce liked. "Oh, of course," he said. "Now?"

"Sure, if, um... if you can be ready now?" Bruce asked, giving Loki a slightly worried look. "Or are you busy?"

"I have shopping later today with Pepper and Natasha, but so as long as the bakery run won't take very long...?"

Bruce smiled. "We probably won't be gone much more than, say... half an hour to an hour? If that."

Loki nodded and summoned his magic, making the change to Nari's form. "How do I look?" she asked.

Bruce smiled. "Good. You look good. Though, um... maybe a different outfit? I think that's the same one you wore to the museum. Maybe something more.." He twirled one hand in small circles for a moment. "Casual?"

"So it is," she agreed, and concentrated, changing the cut and colour of the jeans to a more worn-looking pair, changing the simple blouse to a long fitted white tshirt, altering the shoes to sneakers, discarding most of the jewellery except the earrings and one bracelet, which all changed to smooth gold rings almost as thick as her smallest finger; hollow of course, but still heavy enough to be a noticeable weight on her ears and wrist. "Better?"

Bruce nodded, smile widening. "Yeah, that's good," he said, and rose from his seat at the counter, closing the paperback he'd been reading when Loki had entered the room and slipping it into the kangaroo pocket of the well-worn hoodie he was wearing. "I'm feeling slightly less under-dressed in comparison. You'll need something warmer for outside; the weather is starting to remember that it's fall."

Nari nodded and summoned a jacket of butter-soft dark brown suede, and looked questioningly at Bruce. He smiled approvingly, and led the way to the elevator.

* * *

Bruce kept his head down as they left the tower, knowing it wouldn't stop the paparazzi from recognizing either him or his companion, and taking pictures of them – and that such was the point of their little outing to begin with – but never liking to look directly at them anyway, their presence and interest in him making him feel intensely uncomfortable. Loki – Nari – fell into step beside him as they moved away, looking interestedly about in much the manner of a tourist, though judging by the expression, not a very impressed one.

"Is it very different from cities elsewhere?" Bruce found himself asking.

Nari nodded. "Yes, and no. Form dictates function, so most cities have much the same basics... roadways for traffic, designated pathways for those travelling on foot, a density and height of buildings that depends on a combination of the wealth – or lack of it – of the inhabitants, the climate and geology of the area, and the preferred building methods and technology of the society. There is great variety possible within these constraints, however, as I'm sure you've observed in your own travels here on Earth."

"I have," Bruce agreed, remembering the places he'd lived in or passed through during his years of exile and flight. Tenements and towers, mansions raised in isolated splendour, hives of hundreds of tiny homes crammed together in whatever spaces could be found. Steep cliff-side cities of white-painted clay brick where the roof of one house was the front patio of the next, ancient cities of golden sandstone whose narrow step-staired streets had been around since long before things like bicycles or automobiles had become common, slums and barrios, buildings of steel and stone, of mud brick, of bamboo and grass and leaves, driftwood, logs, rusting corrugated metal, cement blocks, whatever could be scavenged from the nearest dumping grounds. "What is Asgard like?"

Nari's steps paused a moment, an odd expression crossing over her face, then she took a couple of long strides to catch up with him again, slipping one hand into the crook of his elbow. The contact made him feel oddly uncomfortable for a moment – so few people ever touched him, with the exception of Tony, and even he mostly limited himself to quick pokes, the odd slap of shoulder or squeeze of arm.

"Imagine a city," she said, voice lowered. "A city by a sea, backed by mountains, its outermost edges perched on small rocky islets or climbing up steep hillsides. Some parts of it are filled with tall towers, others are scatterings of wide-spread houses. There are streets, but most people travel by foot, or on horseback for longer journeys, though there is also a discretely hidden and very efficient transit system. Many of the buildings are whimsical in design; not simple boxes, their methods of construction making use of technologies that you humans have only just started acquiring the basic building blocks of knowledge required to eventually comprehend."

She paused for a moment, and when she continued, he could hear a definite note of longing in her voice. "At the heart there is a golden palace. From a distance its shape resembles the nearby mountains, but formed of interlocking curving shapes of various heights and sizes... you might compare its form to the pipes of a pipe organ, I suppose, clustered instead of ranked. At the front is a doorway so vast that even the largest of the giant races seems like an ant passing through it. Before these great doors is a vast open space, an area sufficient for almost the entire population of the city to gather in times of celebration, or to review an entire army in times of warfare. Great gardens and parks surround the remaining sides of the structure." She stopped speaking then, an unhappy expression on her face, hand tightening on his arm.

"You miss it."

Nari glanced at him, then gave a very small nod. "I do, very much. It has been my home for most of a millennium, apart from a comparative handful of years spent elsewhere when studying my craft or on diplomatic missions. I was raised to believe that some day it might be mine – my domain, my capital, my palace, my people. How could I not love it? But now..." She shrugged, a thin smile crossing her face, and looked fixedly down at the sidewalk as they walked, voice dropping. "I was king for less than two days. Asgard will never be mine, I know that now; it is to be Thor's, and always was. It was some other throne Odin intended me for, if he could but steal it. I was to be Asgard's puppet, placed by Odin on the throne of Jotunheim to rule according to his or my brother's desires."

She sounded bitter towards the end, and looked away, looking skyward now. "I miss it, but I have little wish to return there again. It would no longer be the place that I miss. The structures are the same, but... everything else has changed."

Bruce nodded. He thought he could understand that feeling; it seemed to be much the same tangle of emotions as he felt for Culver University. It was a place he'd loved, a place he'd once thought to remain at, at least as a researcher and perhaps even someday as a tenured professor. A place with so many pleasant memories wrapped around it; the joy of his first few years of education, meeting Betty there, gradually coming out of his shell as she drew him into a more social life, working on research together with her. And then... the nightmare of the Hulk. His most recent visit a few years before had been almost as traumatic as the monster's creation had been, ambushed and attacked by General Ross' forces. What he missed about Culver now... what he missed was a time and a group of people, a feeling of camaraderie and purpose and, and _hope,_ that he could never return to.

"πάντα χωρεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει," he muttered. (Everything changes and nothing stands still.)

"Indeed," Nari said. "Stasis is death, though there are those among the Aesir and Vanir who believe stasis is stability. Change is needful, I think, but sometimes we mourn the things that have changed even when such change was necessary. Is this the bakery?"

Bruce glanced up at the storefront windows full of pastries and nodded. "This is it," he agreed, and opened the door to let her in.

* * *

Nari drew in a deep appreciative breath as they walked over to the counter. The place smelled delicious, of yeasty dough and sugar and fruit, and other savoury scents. It reminded her of being in the kitchens on one of those days where her mother had conceived a desire for some of the foods of her youth, specialties of the Vanir, and she and a couple of her ladies-in-waiting would take over a corner of the cavernous kitchens to make tray after tray of sweet pastries.

The girl behind the counter smiled welcomingly at Bruce, teeth startlingly white against her dark skin and glossy red-black lipstick. "Doctor B," she said cheerfully. "What can we get for you today?"

Bruce smiled in return as he stepped up to the counter. "Morning, Tori. Let's see... the cream puffs look good. Two dozen of those. And a dozen of those little fruit tarts. The apricot ones."

The woman nodded, snapped open a large bakery box, and started transferring things into it under Bruce's direction as he selected additional items. She'd filled two such boxes before Bruce paused and turned to look at where Nari stood further along the display case, looking at the pastries inside with interest. "Anything you'd like added?" he asked.

Nari looked up and smiled, then gestured to a large wicker tray filled with neatly arranged rows of different cookies. "These look good. What are the different kinds?"

Bruce and Tori walked over and looked into the case as well.

"Macadamia nut and white chocolate chunks, dark chocolate with dried cherries, dark chocolate with butterscotch bits and white chocolate chips, browned butter cookies with pecans, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter with peanuts, gingersnaps," the woman pointed a red-lacquered nail at the different rows, naming each. "Shortbread, chocolate-dipped digestives..."

"Some of the gingersnaps, I think," Nari said when the woman glanced up, remembering that the spice so named was one she was familiar with and liked.

"A dozen of those, and the same of the browned butter cookies," Bruce confirmed. "That should be enough for everyone to have at least one of each."

Tori smiled and shook her head slightly as she began filling a third bakery box. "The appetites your friends have...!"

Bruce grinned briefly. "Most of us eat like we have a hollow leg, yes," he agreed, ducking his head, then gestured at the stacked boxes. "But this will be enough to last even us a few days."

Tori nodded. "You should come back the day after tomorrow anyway, if you can – Morris is talking of doing another run of cupcakes then."

Bruce perked up visibly. "The ones with the buttercream frosting?"

Tori smiled widely. "Yup," she said, popping the p.

"I'll be back for that," Bruce said firmly. "If he makes the lemon sponge ones again, put aside a dozen for me?"

"Of course," she said, as she shut the filled box and added it to the stack. "Will that be all?"

"Better add a couple of danish to go," Bruce said. "So we won't be tempted to break into the boxes before we even get them back to the tower."

She nodded, and stepped over to the next section of the display case. "The sour cherry, I think," Bruce said, and she fished out two sizable rounds of dough, the tops glittering with sugar crystals and with a dab of bright red preserves in the centre, wrapping them each in a fold of waxed paper before passing them over the top of the counter to Bruce. She headed back to the cash register to pack the filled boxes in a plastic bag and ring up their purchase. Bruce handed one of the danishes to Nari then pulled out his wallet and paid in cash, dropping his change in the tip cup beside the register before saying good-bye to Tori and leading the way back out to the street.

Nari tried a bite of the pastry in her hand, and decided she liked it. The dough was flaky, rich with butter but not overly sweet, and the sweet-sour bite of the flavourful preserves went nicely with it. She made an appreciative noise, which made Bruce grin before taking a large bite of his own. They walked along in companionable silence for a few minutes, Bruce taking a different route back towards the tower than the way they'd came, along the narrower side streets rather than the main thoroughfare.

"Tony and I are planning to do more work on the robots this afternoon," Bruce eventually said. "Anything you think we should be wary of? Other than those odd-shaped components, if we come across any more?"

Nari made a face. "Not offhand. I'd be wary of anything that you or Tony can't immediately recognize, however."

Bruce smiled and dipped his head in a minimal nod. "So would I, after seeing what happened when you destroyed that first gadget."

"I should destroy the rest of them. Tony mentioned something about also having an older robot?"

Bruce nodded again. "Yeah, one of more complete specimens from among the ones that attacked the tower. You might remember seeing it – it was one of the first times Tony allowed you in the lab, just afterwards."

Nari frowned. "I... yes. I was a dog? And Steve brought food."

Bruce grinned. "Yeah. It was in much worse condition than this one; damaged enough that Tony didn't even bother using the quarantine lab for working on it. He was more interested in taking a look at its armaments than figuring out the control systems at the time, and we only had a few hours to do anything with it. Then he had to work on everything related to repairing the tower, and sent the remains down to his secure storage in the basement. What with one thing and another we never got back around to doing any further work with it. We're thinking it would be a good idea to haul it back upstairs, and see if we can spot any significant changes between the two models. Assuming they are different models. They might be identical or near-identical."

Nari hummed thoughtfully, and watched as a dirty white van pulled into a parking space a short distance ahead of them, a burly man with short blond hair climbing out of the passenger side and sliding open the cargo door. "I would advise being careful when removing it from storage. Given the nature of the components we found in this latest one... I would not assume it was entirely inert, no matter how badly damaged it appeared."

"Good point," Bruce said. "I'd better mention it to Tony in case he plans to pull it out of storage ahead of time." He pulled out his phone, head lowering as he typed rapidly on the touchscreen.

Nari looked away, back to the van, where the burly man had been joined by the driver – only slightly smaller in size – the pair of them lifting a wheelchair out of the side door. The occupant of the wheelchair was a dark-haired teenage male, only upright in the chair thanks to straps holding him in place. He looked sickly, and jerked spastically as the chair was lowered to the sidewalk. The driver crouched down by his side, steadying his head with one hand and muttering something to him.

The boy blinked blearily, then his eyes twitched to look at Bruce and Nari as they approached.

Bruce gasped, and dropped like a stone, phone skittering away across the sidewalk. Nari froze, feeling an oddness, a _pressure_ – not magic. Something else. Some other power. The mental pressure increased. She froze, mind racing to identify whatever this strangeness was.

Nari's body slumped to the ground alongside Bruce's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can still be found [on Tumblr](http://msbarrows.tumblr.com/), and yes, I'm still playing [Flight Rising](http://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&id=65352), where I have several Marvel fandragons, my favourite two of which are [Loki](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=5645900) and [IronFae](http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=5233612).


	55. Searching

Loki moved a step sideways, away from where the illusion of Nari lay on the ground, and watched as the two men swiftly picked up Bruce's unconscious form and slid him into the back of the van. It would take but a thought to drop the illusion cloaking himself from view, to change to some more deadly form and prevent Bruce's abduction... but it might be more useful to let it play out a while, and learn who was behind this move. He studied the limp form in the wheelchair, so fragile in appearance and yet clearly the source of a power strong enough to have subdued Bruce so quickly and thoroughly that the Hulk had not been triggered, to have come dangerously close to overpowering Loki as well.

The two men lifted the wheelchair into the van next, the driver leaning in to secure the wheels to the floor while the passenger looked down at Nari's still form. "It's that alien bitch," he said, then looked questioningly toward the driver. "Take her as well?"

"Dunno. She wasn't planned for. Not sure the kid can hold them both long enough."

"Phone in and ask?"

"No," the driver said, scowling. "Leave her. Not worth the added risk, not with how long it took to set this up. He'll have our hides if we mess it up by being too ambitious."

"Right."

"Let's move... we've already been here too long," the driver said, and hurried around the van to climb behind the wheel as the passenger moved to close the rear door.

A touch of magic, as a gust of wind lifted fallen leaves briefly off the sidewalk, the swift movement of a tiny form lost in their whirling motion. As the passenger slid into his own seat, two leaves and a tiny brown bat blew in through the open door, one leaf blowing right back out, one coming to rest in the footwell. The bat, its body no larger than a man's thumb, slipped deftly between the side of the seat and the vehicle's interior walls. Loki came to a precarious stop, clinging to the fabric back of the seat and peering short-sightedly around.

The back of the van was largely empty, apart from Bruce's motionless form laid out on the floor, and the boy slouched limply in the wheelchair. There was a small set of metal shelves attached to the wall on the driver's side of the vehicle near the rear doors, an anonymous collection of assorted bags and boxes secured in place with bungee cords and small elasticized cargo nets. As the van pulled away from the curb, Loki risked the short flight from the seat back to the shelves, grasping a strand of one such net with his feet while hooking a wing-claw into the fabric of a nearby duffle-bag. Safely hidden from casual sight, he settled down to wait out events.

The van turned a corner, heading westwards judging by the angle of the sunlight coming in the driver's side window. Loki allowed the now-distant illusion of Nari to evaporate, leaving nothing to show of his and Bruce's presence on the street except the abandoned bakery boxes and Bruce's fallen phone.

* * *

Tony snorted as he read Bruce's text message. "Good point", he texted back. It would, he decided, be safest to get the robot back out of storage and moved to join its compatriot in the quarantine lab after Bruce and Loki got back, before Loki headed out on his shopping trip with Natasha and Pepper, so that the sorcerer was on hand in case of magic.

"What even is my life," he muttered, as he thought that over a second time. "Sorcerers. _Magic_. Magic _robots_." He sent a second text to Bruce, asking if there were donuts among their purchases, then dropped the phone on his workbench and resumed work on the exploded view of Dummy's proposed new chassis. Caught up in his work as he was, it was some time before he realized that there'd been no response from Bruce, who was usually fairly prompt in responding to his texts, even the trivial ones.

"Jarvis, are Bruce and Loki back yet?" he asked.

" _They have not yet returned, Sir,_ " Jarvis said, then after a brief pause resumed in a concerned tone of voice. " _Upon checking, the pair of them entered an area where they were not visible to any cameras approximately eighteen minutes ago. GPS tracking places Dr Banner's cell phone as still in the uncovered area; I am unable to obtain any signal from Loki's cell phone. It is possible that they have merely stopped walking to talk or go into another business._ "

"Bruce isn't likely to stop and chat in the middle of the sidewalk for a quarter of an hour," Tony said, his concern rising. "Not with how much he hates being out in public. And with Loki along, he'd have called it in before making an extra stop. Suit me up, thrusters a priority," he said, stepping away from his stool and standing still with feet slightly spread and arms held out to either side. A panel in the wall opened, releasing the components of one of his self-assembling suits, this one more a descendant of the Mark VII than of the XLII. Its assembly could be controlled directly by Jarvis, who had a far gentler touch than the programmed routines the XLII and its descendants used. As soon as the gloves and boots were on he was lifting off and heading for the exit hatch, the remaining pieces of the suit swarming after him and continuing assembly even as he left the tower.

Mere minutes later he was hovering over the sidewalk of a nearby side-street, cursing as Jarvis silently highlighted Bruce's phone where it lay on the ground to one side, half-hidden in a pile of leaves. "Find them," he ordered, even as he dropped to the ground and crouched to pick up the phone before looking around, letting his sensors scan the area for any further clues to what had happened to the pair.

" _Twenty-seven vehicles have exited the blind spot since Dr Banner and Loki entered it; I have started work on tracing all of them. Eight pedestrians who are potential witnesses have also been identified. This group may be of the most immediate interest,_ " Jarvis said, and an image appeared in the UI, of a group of three young men walking together, the middle one carrying a plastic bag marked with a familiar bakery logo, while the rightmost one was opening the lid of a box.

"Lead me to them, J," Tony ordered as he lifted off again, following the AI's directions and quickly catching up to the trio. The three hipsters were understandably startled when Iron Man dropped to the sidewalk in front of them, one dropping the trat he'd been about to bite into, but they quickly answered his questions, proving to be a dead end – they hadn't seen a thing, merely found the bag of baked goods when they'd left work to go get lunch.

"Thanks for your co-operation," he told them. "And a word to wise, it's generally not smart to eat food you find abandoned in the street, though in this case you're _probably_ safe." With that he launched back into the sky, headed after the next closest pedestrian that Jarvis had identified. "Better put me through to Coulson," he instructed Jarvis. "We're going to need more than just you and I in on this."

* * *

"We have a witness," Coulson spoke up, everyone else in the room falling silent at his words. "Agent Jackson reports that he's found a woman who recognized a photo of Nari. Apparently she saw her and a male companion walking along the other side of the street while she was watering the plants in her office window. Her field of view places the pair just steps away from where Dr Banner's phone was later found. She says there was a light-coloured van, and two people – probably male – getting something out of the back of it. That was all she saw before she went to refill her watering can. He's bringing her in so we can ask further questions to try and see if there's any other useful details she might recall."

"Jarvis!" Tony barked out.

" _Three of the identified vehicles were vans. One white, one dark blue, and one light grey._ " A pair of holographic screens popped up, showing fast-forwarded views of the two light-coloured vans as they passed through a variety of security and traffic camera viewpoints, inset maps tracing out their progress through the city. The grey one eventually drove into a warehouse and didn't reappear; the white one went to a care facility, where two men lifted a man in a wheelchair out of the back, one of them pushing the wheelchair indoors while the second drove the van away, heading back east again. The speed of that monitor slowed to normal several minutes later; the footage had caught up to real time, showing the white van somewhere in Queens.

"All right, we have a minimum of three targets," Coulson said. "The warehouse, the care facility, and the white van."

"I'd rate the warehouse the least likely," Steve said. "I'd designate the care facility as the most likely."

"Why?" Tony asked.

It was Clint who answered. "Because they won't have wanted to keep the Hulk in the van any longer than they needed to. My guess would be they put him in the wheelchair, took him into the building, did another switch of some kind, and took him right back out again. Loki might still be in the van, or may have been dumped or transferred somewhere along their route, depending on whether Nari or Bruce was their primary target."

"Judging by them having managed to abduct Bruce without triggering the Hulk, my assumption would be that he was their primary target; they were clearly prepared to handle him." Steve interjected.

"Jarvis, consider the care facility to be another hub, and start tracing everyone and everything you can detect leaving it."

" _Of course, Sir._ "

Coulson dispatched teams to all three locations; Steve and Clint headed out to join the teams moving to the van and care facility respectively, while Natasha went downstairs to meet up with Agent Jackson and the witness he was bringing in. Tony considered flying out to meet the team at the warehouse, but Coulson shook his head. "I'd rather you stayed here. The warehouse is a lower priority, and if something new comes up, I'd rather you were here – the tower is pretty central to all three locations, and you work better with Jarvis than I do."

Tony nodded, and flung himself into a chair, chewing on his lower lip and watching as screens bloomed and faded as Jarvis continued his tracking efforts, identifying additional potential locations; just because the van had been the most likely candidate for Bruce and Loki's abduction didn't mean it was the _only_ one. He and Jarvis worked on figuring out ways to prioritize them in case none of their current targets panned out.

Coulson straightened suddenly, reaching forward to activate coms. "Hawkeye, the Widow reports that the witness remembered seeing someone in a wheelchair when questioned further."

"Awesome," Clint replied. "We're on site and moving in."

Tony clenched his fists, wishing he was there with Clint, and waited on further word.

* * *

The vehicle turned again, into some interior space judging by the changes in external lighting and sounds. It slowed, then drove up a short but steep ramp, levelling off again before it came to a stop. There was a rattling sound, all external light vanishing, then the vehicle's interior lights came on. The passenger squeezed between the two seats to move into the rear area.

"He still out?" the driver asked, craning his head around to look in Bruce's direction.

"Yes," the passenger said, and crouched down by the wheelchair as there was a sudden loud engine noise and squeal of noise, as whatever they'd driven into – some larger vehicle, Loki guessed – started its engine and eased into movement. The man took a plastic bottle out of a cargo space in the base of the wheelchair, cracked open its lid and dropped a straw into it, then manoeuvred the straw into the boy's mouth. The teenager drank thirstily, his eyes looking nervously around, mostly flicking between Bruce, the man, and the bottle. "Good work, Troy," the passenger said approvingly. "The Boss is going to be very happy with you. You just keep him asleep like that, okay?"

Troy nodded once, his eyes shifting to stare at Bruce again as he noisily sucked the last of the drink through the straw.

"Want anything to eat?"

Troy shook his head.

"Okay. You let me know if you need anything, or if you think you can't hold him any longer," the passenger said, then rose and moved back to his own seat, squeezing the kid's shoulder in passing.

The movement of the larger vehicle had smoothed out; Loki guessed they were on a highway now, moving at a fixed speed rather than the stop-start of city streets. There was a sudden burst of noise, like rainfall hitting the exterior of their vehicle, which startled Loki badly for a moment. His claws tightened their grip, his ears flattening to try and reduce the dizzying din. He was starting to think he was going to have to risk changing to some other form – something less aurally sensitive – and then the sound cut off as quickly as it had started. The two men in front climbed out of their vehicle. His echolocation senses immediately mapped out the shape of the cargo space they were in, a long box-like shape. A transport trailer, he guessed from memory of seeing such in movies.

He could smell water and something chemical, hear the voices of the two men as they quickly moved around, doing something to the exterior of the van. There was the sound of things moving against the exterior surfaces; something that squeaked as it was drawn repeatedly against the painted metal. They were scrubbing or drying it or something similar, maybe. After a few minutes they climbed back in.

The truck slowed while taking a long banking curve downwards, then went into the stop-start motion of city driving again for a while before turning sharply, slowing further, and then coming to a stop with a loud noise. The same rattling noise as before sounded a couple of minutes later, and then the driver started up the van's engine again and backed out of the trailer, reversing into a turn before driving away.

Clever, Loki thought, guessing that they'd changed the van's appearance while inside the trailer. In combination with the location change before the van reappeared, it was extremely unlikely that the vehicle's path could be traced. And certainly not easily.

A pity that all their obviously well-planned effort was going to waste. He shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, wings tucked in close about his tiny body, and waited for the trip to end.

* * *

Clint's voice came over the speakers, reporting in. "You should see the security setup here, Stark, it'd give you hives. There's a security camera covering the door, but it's old. As in it records in crappy black and white to VHS tape kind of old, which I suppose is why Jarvis never picked it up. Anyway, the manager was kind enough to let us take a look. Neither the occupant of the wheelchair nor the man pushing it is a face we're looking for. On the other hand, the manager also says that neither of them is anyone who lives here, so there's that."

Coulson frowned. "I'm guessing the next thing you're going to tell us is that neither of them is still in the building."

"Bingo. Or if they are, we haven't found them yet, though I'm going to assume that if they're really involved in this that they weren't dumb around to stick around. Not like it would have been hard to leave without being noticed. Aside from them simply changing clothes and leaving again by the main door, where all the camera would have caught is their backs, I've identified at three other exits they could easily have taken, only one of which has any security of any kind, and that's before we start to consider non-traditional routes such as climbing out a window. Should I stay here or come back in?"

"Come back in," Coulson instructed. "Leave your team there to continue investigating on the off chance they can find any additional clues as to who those two were and which way they went. And see if you can get a copy of the tape, it's possible facial recognition might be able to turn up something."

"Possible but not probable... the quality is really crappy, sir. But yeah, I'll bring back a copy. Hawkeye out."

Steve reported in not too long afterwards, the white van having been found both abandoned and on fire. His team was staying with the now-extinguished shell until a forensics team arrived to see if they could learn anything further from it. The warehouse team reported in eventually as well; the grey van belonged to the business housed there, and had been out on a legitimate delivery, backed up by their records. They were double-checking everything, of course, but given the fate of the white van, that lead at least looked to be a dead end.

* * *

Tony shook his head. "It went through three different blind spots just on the way to the care facility itself, assuming it even was actually the same van, at any of which the passengers could have been taken into one of the surrounding buildings or transferred to another vehicle. Even with Jarvis to aid in tracking... the longer it's been, the worse it gets. The possible connections and hubs increase exponentially; unless we can find something else to narrow it down again, I don't think we'll be able to find them this way."

"So we need to attack it from the other end, then," Steve said. "Who would have wanted to abduct either or both of them?"

"A painfully long list of potential people," Phil said.

"The ones who actually have the kind of resources to pull this off is a much shorter list," Natasha pointed out. "They definitely knew where at least one blind spot was; that's not exactly information that Joe Public can google to find out."

"True," Phil agreed.

"My money would be on General Ross," Tony suddenly said. "He has the pull, the security clearance and the men to be able to both find out the right information and pull this off. And as someone said earlier today – they were clearly prepared to deal with the Hulk. Bruce was therefore the most likely target, and Loki-as-Nari was probably just a target of opportunity. When I start thinking of people with a years-long hard-on for capturing Bruce, General Ross tops the list, no matter what criteria you sort it by."

Natasha said "He has a point," while Phil nodded thoughtfully.

"Having never heard of him before today, I can't say as I have any opinion on the matter," Steve said.

"He's a Grade A douche-nozzle," Clint spoke up from where he was sitting in a corner of the room, watching a real-time speed play-back of the white van's journey through the city while idly spinning an arrow in the fingers of one hand. "I was embedded in a unit under him once on a mission a few years back. Remind me to tell you all about the experience sometime when we're not about to eat."

"Eat...?" Tony said, just before the door to the room opened and Pepper came in, pushing a catering trolley loaded down with serving dishes, the plates and napkin-wrapped cutlery stacked at one end chiming softly as it moved.

"Jarvis said the group of you could probably stand to eat now," she said, smiling at them. "I asked the executive cafeteria downstairs to put something together earlier; you've just paid the staff some very generous overtime for staying so late, Tony."

"I have? Excellent, by the smell of this food they've earned it," he said, and beamed at her as he and Steve both rose to help her transfer things from the trolley to the large table that occupied one end of the meeting room they were using as a command centre. "You're a treasure. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Any word about Bruce or Loki...?"

"No," Phil said as he wheeled his chair over to join them, Natasha following along. "The leads we did have all petered out without getting us anything concrete. We're considering alternate avenues of investigation now."

"Let me know if there's anything I can do to help," Pepper said. "While I'm sure there's considerable overlap between what Tony and Jarvis can do and what I can, I'm sure there's contacts I have or resources I can call on that they may not be able to."

Tony paused in the act of transferring a spoon full of rosemary finger potatoes to his plate. "Wait, didn't you say something about meeting with some military types tomorrow to show off prototypes to them?"

"No, I'm just inspecting the prototypes to be sure they're ready for the demonstration. The demonstration itself won't be until late next week. Why, is there a military connection to all this... oh! General Ross?"

"That's our suspicion," Phil agreed. "But I'm fairly certain we can find out what we need to about him without needing to use whatever connections you have; SHIELD has had him under fairly close surveillance since his second-last attempt to capture the Hulk. Creating an equally powerful creature with even less self-control than Bruce has does tend to attract and hold our attention, and not in good ways," he finished with a bland smile.

"Guys? I think I may have something," Clint called from where he'd remained in the corner, sitting up straighter, one hand clenching tightly around the shaft of the arrow he'd been twirling earlier. They all immediately abandoned their half-filled plates to hurry over and crowd in around him and the screen he'd been watching.

"Okay Jarvis, start with the video of the van when it made a left turn just after first coming into view leaving the abduction area, at quarter speed" Clint instructed. Jarvis immediately displayed a short video clip. "Stop there," he said, then gestured at the back left panel of the vehicle, from the lower edge up to a height roughly level with the rear lights. "Notice the area of heavier spatter here. We can see the same spatter when the van enters and leaves the first blind spot it passed through after that," he pointed out, while Jarvis obliged him by putting up additional images, helpfully circling the same area in both cases. "But when it leaves the second blind spot... aaaand _bam_. Spatter, but a different pattern of it."

"It's not the same van," Tony said, voice flat with shock.

"Nope. Same make, model, colour, even license plate... but not the same van at all."

"Good job, Clint," Phil said, his voice warm with approval.

"That's definitely our next hub," Tony agreed. "Jarvis?"

" _With the period of time that has passed since the van entered this area, the number of vehicles of interest and potential area of coverage is still huge, but it may be possible to further narrow it down,_ " Jarvis replied. " _Downgrading the primary and secondary hubs, and focusing current tracing efforts on results from this hub._ "

* * *

The van turned off the road it had been travelling along, slowing briefly to a stop while the driver opened his window and leaned out. Loki caught a sound not unlike the mechanical hum of Stark's garage door opening, then the vehicle lurched into movement again. The driver had left his window half open; scents of the wilderness came in through it, trees and wet leaves and cold night air, as they drove along a winding length of road, gravel crunching under the tires. Another turn, and the harsh gravel sound faded back to the quieter shush of tires on smooth pavement. And a final turn mere minutes later, into the brightly lit interior of a building, the sounds and smells of outside vanishing as a loud rattling sounded behind them, some large door closing.

As the driver and passenger opened their doors and got out, Loki could tell they were inside some echoingly large space that smelled of machine oil, car exhaust, and cold concrete. He caught the sounds of people hurrying toward the vehicle. The side and back doors were yanked open, multiple men leaning in to unfasten and lift out the wheelchair, others pulling Bruce out the back door and placing him onto a gurney. Even before he was settled into place someone was cutting open the sleeve of his hoodie and the shirt underneath. Working quickly right there at the back of the van they swiped his arm clean, inserted and taped down a cannula, and attached him to an IV bag, others fastening broad straps over top of him to hold him securely in place.

"He's sedated, _go_ ," someone said, and the group of them set off at a near-run, taking Bruce and the gurney along with them. Loki took advantage of the fact that everyone's attention appeared to be following the gurney's departure and took to the air, flitting out the open back of the van and arrowing quickly upwards to the shadowed steel rafters high overhead.

"Jones, take Troy to his quarters and see he's fed," an authoritative voice ordered. "You two, with me."

Loki took a careful look at the tall, thin man who had spoken, fixing his appearance in his mind as someone with some degree of command over these men. Soldiers, he guessed, taking in the uniformity of the clothing everyone but the three who'd been in the van were wearing. It was to one such soldier that the man had spoken; Jones nodded and said "Sir," in return, then stepped behind the wheelchair and walked away, pushing it before him, while the other three headed in a different direction.

Which group to follow... Bruce, Troy, or the commander. For a mere human it would have been a difficult choice. For Loki, now that his magic had returned, it was much simpler. A spell to tag Troy and Bruce so he could relocate them later, and then he dropped down from his perch in the rafters, wrapping an illusion of non-presence about him as he followed in the commander's wake.

* * *

_For anyone wondering - Loki is currently a small-footed bat, one of the tiniest bats found in New York state._


	56. Purloined Letter

The commander led the two men into a large office, and moved to stand behind the desk. Loki flitted to one side of the room, finding a perch to hang from on one edge of the bookshelves that lined one wall, trusting his magic to keep him hidden.

"Good work," the man told the pair, and opened a drawer, removing two manila envelopes. He slid them across the desk and apart, leaving one in front of each man. "New ID, foreign-based bank accounts and passports – _not_ too new – and flight reservations. A sizable bonus will be deposited into your accounts by the time you've left the building. Consider this a lengthy paid vacation; I'd recommend that you stay out of the country for at least six months before returning. As far as the army is concerned, you're both on an extended covert op out of country; when you're ready to return, call the phone number on the back of the discount club cards you'll find included in the wallets; suitable travel orders and arrangements to bring you back via official routes from wherever you are will be taken care of. Dismissed."

"Yes sir," the two said, saluting, than each picked up the envelope in front of them, saluted, turned, and left the room without opening them to look inside.

The man sighed and dropped into the chair behind the desk as soon as the office door was closed, then reached for the desk phone, lifting the receiver to his ear and hitting a speed dial button. He listened and typed in some numbers, then sat up a little straighter. "Sir. The package has been obtained and is being prepped for further travel." He listened for a little while, unconsciously nodding once or twice in response to what was being said. "Yes sir. Oh five hundred hours. We'll be ready," he said, and hung up the phone. He turned toward the computer on his desk, typing briefly before rising to his feet and leaving the office again.

Loki followed, slipping out the door behind him and finding another perch while he considered his options. It didn't sound like Bruce was in any immediate danger, and his curiosity about the youth who had so easily taken down the man and his beast was strong.

He started to fly back in the direction he'd originally come from, only to quickly run into a snag; the doors that had led into this area from the garage were closed, their edges well-fitted to keep out the chill of the largely unheated space, leaving no gaps large enough for him to squeeze through. He explored the extents of the hallway – series of hallways – he was in, but all of the doors that obviously led to other areas were equally well-sealed, and most had electronic locks requiring the use of a code or swipe-card to open. He could easily enough change to human form and trust on his spell of non-presence to keep him hidden while he either opened one of the less secure sets of doors or used his powers to trick one of the electronic locks into opening, but there was too much risk of that drawing attention; _he_ might not be visible, but the movement of the door would be, and doubtless there were many such doors between him and where the youth was now. No, better to find some less obvious route.

A second thought struck him; it was probably past time to attempt contacting Tony and letting him and the others known that Bruce and he were currently all right. He'd need to change back to a human form first, in order to regain access to his phone. He looked around, and... there. A door he'd previously ignored as it was marked as a supply closet, with a gap between the base of the door and the floor more than large enough for him to squeeze his tiny body through. Once inside, his echolocation senses having confirmed that there was sufficient open space, he transformed back to his natural form, and dug his phone out of one pocket, thumbing the switch on one edge to light up the touch-sensitive screen.

He scowled; according to the display, there was no signal. He didn't know if it was because this base was actually out of range of any network, or if it was shielded in some manner. Given what he'd read of the spread and extent of wireless technology, he guessed the latter was more likely, though in either case his phone was currently useless. He flicked the display back off and tucked it away again, making note to check again later, then gingerly leaned back against the shelves full of office and cleaning supplies while he considered what to do next, tilting his head back in thought.

The space was only barely lit by the light seeping in around the edges of the closed door; it took him a couple of minutes before he noticed that there was a slightly darker rectangle in one corner of the large dark rectangle that was the ceiling overhead. A darker rectangle divided into small squares by a barely-lighter grillwork; an entry into the ventilation and/or heating ducts that doubtless threaded through much of the base. He grinned toothily, and reached up to feel over the surface of the grill, quickly locating the screws holding it in place. A spell to muffle any sounds it might make, then he threaded his fingertips through it and braced himself before ripping the grid of metal free, the screw heads deforming the thin metal as they tore through it.

Loki eyed the hole thus revealed, then dropped the grill in back of a dusty piles of cardboard boxes stacked along the back of the closet. A change to bat shape again as he flew up and into the opening, focusing on the distant pull of the magical tag he'd set in the wheelchair-bound teenager, and he set off exploring for any routes that would take him in the right direction.

* * *

Their next big break was when, taking a page from Clint's experience at the care facility, a team checking for security cameras that _weren't_ network accessible lucked across an old-style VHS security camera in a used car dealership's showroom. It had caught the white van turning into the shipping yard of a business further down the street, just moments before a remarkably similar white van pulled out. A copy of the tape had been rushed to the tower and digitized. Jarvis was now cross-matching the vehicles that exited the shipping yard after the van had entered it against his substantially longer list of vehicles that had left the blind spot the shipping yard was within.

A thorough search of the facility itself had turned up neither any trace of Bruce or Loki nor, perhaps more tellingly, any white vans.

"Purloined letter," Clint spoke up as soon as they heard this latest piece of news from the field teams.

Phil nodded thoughtfully, watching one of Jarvis's screens that was showing a satellite view of the city marked by traces following the routes of every vehicle of interested to them. Some traces were still growing, while most had stopped, their end points marked by pulsing circles. Even as he watched, two pulsing circles darkened as teams reported back that those had proven to be dead ends, with nothing but a coincidence of timing providing any link to the kidnapping.

"That's where you hide something under or inside a similar something, right?" Tony asked, the words calling to mind a short story he'd had to read for an English course back in high school. "A letter inside a letter, a stamp under a stamp, a vase inside a vase..."

"Right," Phil agreed. "So we need to have Jarvis focus not just on any vans of that make and model that left the facility, regardless of colour, but also any other vehicle large enough to have contained the van."

The display immediately changed, most of the lines fading while several brightened. " _I have identified two vans and five transport trailers that match the criteria specified,_ " Jarvis' voice spoke up. Some of the traces brightened further, bright marks appearing at the end of them. " _One van and one trailer are still in motion. The remainder ended their travels at the locations indicated_."

Phil quickly re-prioritized several of his teams, diverting them to check these newest targets. The remainder of the Avengers were already arguing over reasons for and against the seven target vehicles being possible next connections.

* * *

Loki clung to the inside of an air return grille, looking out into a small room. It was rectangular in shape, a door set in each of the two shorter walls; one closed with a heavy metal door, presumably leading to the corridor outside, and one a simple open archway, the white-tiled interior visible through it making plain that it led to a washroom. The room had a very industrial look to it; the floor was bare concrete with a small square drain set in one corner; the walls, painted cinderblock. The only windows were tiny, set high on the long wall opposite Loki's vantage point, and covered with expanded metal gratings. Apart from a mattress and bedding in one corner, some neatly folded piles of cloth along the foot of one wall, and the boy – Troy – slouched limply in his wheelchair, the room was empty.

As he watched, the hall door made an electronic beep and swung open, letting in the soldier who'd taken Troy out of the garage area earlier. He was carrying a plastic tray in one hand, with a few disposable paper dishes on it and a distinct lack of cutlery of any kind. He set the tray down on the floor near the bed, then pulled a paperback book out of the cargo pocket of his pants and held it up in Troy's direction. "Reward for a job well done," he said in a bored tone of voice, tossed it down onto the bed, then turned and walked out. The door closed, beeping again as it locked behind him.

Loki was just wondering how Troy was supposed to eat or read when a second, much quieter tone sounded, from somewhere in the vicinity of the wheelchair, and Troy's whole body jerked. The boy made a hissing noise of discomfort through his teeth – and then sat upright, slowly and painfully, as if he was stiff and sore. He methodically worked his joints, flexing his elbows and hands and wrists and fingers, bent his knees and rolled his ankles, and then massaged at his limbs. As he leaned forward to work on his legs his hair parted around something fastened to the nape of his neck; a small dark-coloured box, a tiny red light inset in its surface.

After a couple of minutes, the boy braced himself and pushed to his feet, then limped off into the washroom, leaning heavily on the wall as he went. The sound of water running started shortly after he moved out of sight.

Loki hung where he was, thinking. Was the box perhaps the source of Troy's earlier paralysis? In which case the boy might be just as much a prisoner as Banner currently was. He considered changing forms to enter the cell and speak to him, then looked at the windowless door and decided the risk of security cameras watching the space was too high.

Time to go find where Banner was. The boy could wait.

* * *

"Another dead end," Steve pointed out as Jarvis, following receipt of yet another field report, marked off one of their highest priority targets as a dead end.

"What's left?" Tony asked tiredly from where his head rested on folded arms at one end of the boardroom table, its surface still scattered with serving platters, though very few of them bore anything more interesting than leftover garnishes at this point of the night.

Steve, Phil and Clint studied Jarvis' display. "Nothing," Clint said grimly.

Tony lifted his head. "Nothing?" he asked, his voice full of disbelief.

"Every vehicle that either could have been or could have contained the van that left the yard after the van entered in it has either been intercepted, or its end point searched. No further signs of the van or of Bruce or Loki have been found," Phil expanded on Clint's comment, then rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "We must have missed something. Some sign, some clue..."

"Wait," Tony said, suddenly sitting stiffly upright. "End points...? _Only_ end points?"

Phil and Clint both stared at him for a moment, then Phil swore and bent back over the holographic keyboard floating in front of him.

"What did we miss?" Steve asked, his brain clearly not having caught on quite as quickly.

"End points, Cap," Tony explained. "We got so fixated on checking where the vehicles of most interest ended up that we didn't remember that they might have been only another leg in the journey. We didn't think to check for intermediate stops."

" _Two of the vehicles stopped for long enough for transfers to have taken place,_ " Jarvis spoke up, highlighting the routes in question.

One was a cargo van that had left the city and headed south, stopping in the early evening for a half hour at a roadside diner just north of Baltimore before continuing its travels further southwards until it had been finally stopped and searched all the way down in Virginia. The second was a transport trailer that had, according to its dockets, left the shipping yard empty and stopped at a facility in Newark, New Jersey to take on cargo before continuing westwards until the driver had stopped for the night in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

"I'll bet you a dollar it's the transport," Clint said. "I bet it wasn't as empty as it was supposed to be."

"No bet," Natasha said. "Sounds too much like a sure thing to me."

"Jarvis, any camera coverage of the Newark shipping yard?" Tony asked.

" _No Sir – it's in another blind spot._ "

"That's definitely sounding like a sure bet to me too," Steve said, moving to peer over Phil's shoulder at one of Jarvis' displays. "How big a blind spot?"

" _Still calculating, Captain. Shall I treat this as another hub?_ "

"Yes," Phil, Steve and Tony all replied pretty much in unison. It wasn't long until Jarvis had a new display set up, with the transport truck's route marked in one colour and new traces beginning to radiate outwards from this newest blind spot, colour coded based on Jarvis' best guesses as to which were most likely to be of interest. While the Newark shipping yard was in a blind spot as far as camera coverage went, its tracking system was heavily computerized, making it easy to identify all of the vehicles that were recorded as having stopped there to drop off or pick up shipments, as well as to identify yard workers who were on shift when the transport truck had arrived, been loaded, and departed again.

Despite it still being the middle of the night, Natasha and Steve set out to New Jersey with a team to make house-calls on all the employees who might have had anything to do with the truck in question.

* * *

Finding Banner had taken longer than Loki liked. The section of the building that Bruce was apparently in was clearly a newer addition to the facility, and had its own separate system of wiring runs and air ducts. In the end Loki had needed to find his way up to an exhaust vent, change form back to human form in order to remove the grating blocking it, then make his way over the rooftops to an intake for the addition's system.

He paused once he'd removed the grating on the intake he'd found, then took out his cell phone and checked it; still no signal. He tapped it thoughtfully against his chin for a moment, then remembered something Tony had said when describing some of the more proprietary features of it, and hesitantly checked through the preference menus. Ah, yes... there it was. As well as being able to connect to any regular cell phone or satellite networks that were in range, there was an option for using Stark Industries' own dedicated network. He switched his phone over to that, and waited hopefully... and, no, still no signal at all. Whatever this facility was using to block wireless communication was clearly highly effective.

Loki thought a moment longer, staring at the phone balanced on the flat of his palm, then carefully set it down on top of one of the taller mechanical outcroppings dotting the building's rooftop. There was nothing of any real value on the phone, and if he or Banner accidentally-or-on-purpose happened to do something in the next little while that _did_ manage to interrupt whatever was jamming signals... well, then it might prove to be a useful little device after all.

He eyed the uncovered air intake thoughtfully, then sighed and turned back into a bat yet again. He'd have preferred a larger and possibly more dangerous form, but he had to admit that the little flying creature was particularly adept at near-noiselessly navigating the usually pitch-dark and sometimes vertical ducting. Besides, even if there was some audio pickup somewhere in the building that could pick up the high-pitched squeaks of his echolocation, no one was likely to think a thumb-sized flying rodent was any potential source of danger.

Now that he was in the right system of ducting, it didn't take too much longer to find the room where Bruce was being held. Loki once again found himself peering out of a grate into an industrial-looking room, though this one was easily twice the size of the cell where Troy was being kept. It was, on the other hand, almost as empty, apart from a bier-like raised metal platform on which Banner lay, held down with both wide straps of some matte black fabric and larger, thick metal hoops that arched over him without actually contacting him; sized to hold the Hulk if needed, Loki guessed by the size and placement of them.

Bruce had been stripped down to his underwear, his mouth and nose covered with a breathing mask, and there were IV lines running into both his arms. All the tubing vanished down through ports into the platform. Apart from Bruce, the room was currently empty, though Loki could see the lens and red-gleaming LEDs of two different security cameras from his current vantage point, and had little doubt that there were more sensors than just those trained on the unconscious man. Entering the room would likely trigger a lot more action than he currently wished to deal with... at least with Banner currently unable to join the fray.

He needed his hands and voice. Loki looked around to judge the size and strength of the duct he was currently inside, then concentrated and carefully turned into a human again; a toddler-sized one, not too dissimilar from his own much younger self. A few whispered words and careful gestures, and the IV tubes crimped themselves, inner surfaces of the plastic heating just enough to soften and fuse shut. The corrugated tubes leading into the breathing mask were too large and stiff to do the same to without it being obvious. After some thought and careful examination he was able to identify which tube was the intake and which the outflow. He sealed shut the one-way valve leading from the former, and then perforated a row of small holes all around the edge of the mask, so that Bruce's inhalations would draw in clean air from the room rather than whatever presumed sedative the tube had been providing for him to breathe.

That done, Loki settled in and began methodically weakening the material of the straps and hoops; it wouldn't do to have Bruce – or the Hulk, if he happened to make an appearance – actually restrained once he woke.


	57. Let's Go Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I blink and most of a month goes by. This time I'm blaming my re-addiction to Lord of the Rings Online. Though mostly it's the procrastination gene that runs in my family. I need to bludgeon it into submission again, and get back into the habit of writing a) regularly, and b) before getting busy with gaming on any given day.

The Hulk woke with a pounding headache. Or more accurately, Bruce started to wake with one, but as memory flooded back with consciousness, the Hulk was the one of them that actually opened his eyes and rose from the platform, accompanied by the snap of frayed straps and shattering of micro-fracture-riddled metal. He roared his anger even as he scanned the room he was in, taking in the single entrance and multitude of cameras.

He charged the closed and locked door, but the heavy metal-clad panel and frame don't even dent from the impact. He backed off a step, pounding his massive fists against it in frustration. A siren began to sound somewhere outside the room, close enough to be heard but not close enough to hurt his ears.

"Let me help with that," a voice said, and Hulk whirled to see a dark-skinned female form sliding head-first out of a small rectangular opening high on one wall, gripping onto the edge of it to flip upright and land on her feet as she slid free. She smelled strongly of fear but some part of him knew that she was someone Bruce knew and didn't consider an enemy, so he merely snorted loudly at her before moving another step back, watching her warily.

She smelled even more strongly of fear as she passed closest to him on her way to the door, where she spread her hands flat on the metal. There was a popping sound, followed by the acrid odour of something electrical shorting out. "It's unlocked now," she said, then gestured to one side. "I think it's meant to move sideways, that way," she added as she moved hurriedly out of his way.

Hulk grunted in response, then set his own hands flat on the door and pushed sideways. It resisted at first, then there was a groan and screech of resisting metal failing as it popped a short distance outwards and to the side, opening a few inches before jamming in place. He wrapped his huge hands around the open edge and yanked, forcing the opening wider despite the jam, the metal first bending inwards and then tearing apart at the seams and joints from the force of his pull. Hulk squeezed out the doorway as soon as he had it torn open wide enough, the woman following on his heels.

The next room was bigger, filled with equipment, and had the look of a place that had been hastily evacuated; chairs pushed back at the couple of desks, a coffee mug fallen to the floor and spilled, the liquid still spreading. The woman walked with apparent calm over to a pair of double doors in one wall. "This way, I think," she said, setting one hand to a panel to one side of the doors. They opened, then she dove and rolled to one side as shots rang out.

Hulk charged out the doors into a wide hallway. A group of black-clad men with guns were gathered at a distance down the hall. They, too, smelled of fear, one of them blanching and falling back a few steps at sight of him. Hulk grinned at them in a thoroughly unpleasant way, then roared his defiance.

"I'd suggest running," the woman called out from behind him. "You can't kill him." She moved to stand behind him. "You can't kill me either," she added, grinning just as unpleasantly as he had. "Though you're welcome to try." Hulk growled his agreement.

The cluster of men exchanged worried looks. Several began to slowly back away. Hulk snorted and began to crouch in preparation for a charge, but the woman reached out and set her hand on his arm. He turned his head to look curiously at her; she stilled radiated fear of him, and yet she dared to try to stop him.

" _Run_ ," she repeated firmly, looking to the men, and more of them began to back away. The handful remaining kept their weapons raised, but the reek of their fear was much stronger now. "Last chance," she told them. "I'm sure this isn't what you signed up for. Go now before you anger him any further. _Now_." The last word was like a whip-crack; the men flinched, then exchanged looks. Some of those already backing away dropped their weapons and ran, the remainder began a more orderly retreat, the muzzles of their weapons turned aside though remaining generally pointing in their direction until they reached a side-corridor and moved out of sight. Hulk snorted, a mix of disdain for them and disappointment at not being allowed to fight them.

The woman smiled at him, her hand patting his arm lightly. "We need to go, but first there's a couple of things we should pick up. That way," she said, pointing at one wall of the corridor. Hulk grinned in pleasure, and smashed an opening through it.

* * *

" _Pardon me, Sir,_ " Jarvis interrupted the quiet conversation Tony and Phil were having by the coffee maker. " _Signal has just been acquired on Loki's cell phone via the Stark satellite network; GPS places it somewhere to the east of Tranquility Ridge in the Wanaque Wildlife Management Area, just south of the New York-New Jersey border._ "

A new display popped up, the location marked with a flashing X. No roads or buildings were marked, just a meandering blue line marked "Beech Brook" and a point marker positioned (presumably) on the ridge.

"What does satellite view show?" Tony asked. The image changed, to a sea of lumpy green tree tops, broken by two large meadows and a swampy, water-filled area, the X being in the trees between the ridge and the two clearings. Tony squinted at the display. "Zoom in on that clearing near the X. No, the middle clearing, not the southern one. Hawkeye, those look like vehicle tracks to me; same to you?"

"Yeah, same," Clint agreed. "I'd guess either off-roaders or an access road maybe? ATV trails? There might be an offshoot of that leading to the X, somewhere under those trees."

"Not that we need a road," Tony said.

Clint was already on his feet and slinging his quiver on, and nodded at Tony. "I'll go fire up the quinjet. Someone figure out if I'm stopping to pick up Cap and Nat, or if they'll be making their own way there."

"Wait for Iron Man," Phil called after him, then turned to look sternly at Tony. "I'm sure you can fly there faster than the jet, but I'd rather neither of you go in without backup; either go along on board or fly alongside, I don't care, but stay with each other. Go suit up, I'll contact the others and arrange a rendezvous point."

Tony nodded, deciding against arguing; his speed in the suit wouldn't get him there all that much before the quinjet would make it, and as organized as the kidnappers had clearly been, he figured Coulson might be right about it being better to go in with backup on hand; no telling what they were going to find out there.

* * *

There was sporadic resistance as Hulk and Nari moved through the facility, enough to make her thankful that she'd donned her armour for the fight. At some point she'd acquired a length of rebar that made a tolerably decent quarterstaff, and a knife with a blade the length of her hand from one of the soldiers who'd been made of stern enough stuff to stand and fight.

Her initial fear of the Hulk was fading; the two of them had fought well together, and he'd been willing to take direction from her, at least in the simplest forms. A lot could be done with "smash", "don't smash" and "this way", and despite his brutish appearance and limited vocabulary he was clearly intelligent, and could understand more than he could say in return. But then Bruce Banner was a genius, so perhaps it was hardly surprising that his alter ego had its own level of brilliance, especially when it came to puzzling his way around or through obstacles.

They stopped briefly in the office that Nari had originally followed his kidnappers to, or rather Nari stopped and searched it while Hulk went up and down the corridor smashing in doors and happily destroying the contents of the other rooms. She found only a few items that looked promising, and stashed them in a dimensional pocket before rejoining Hulk.

"There is someone we should take with us when we leave," she told him, as she led the way back in the direction of the garage they'd originally been brought into the facility by. "A young man; you might recognize him. He was in a wheelchair."

Hulk scowled. "Made Bruce sleep."

Nari nodded. "Yes, he made Bruce sleep. But I think he's a prisoner here, the same way they tried to make you a prisoner."

"Not smash?" Hulk's scowl lessened, became a frown.

"Not smash," Nari agreed, then pushed open the doors leading into the garage, and looked around at the scattering of vehicles parked within it. "Well, not smash the boy. Smashing these is just fine."

Hulk grinned toothily at her, then launched himself into the air, the high ceiling allowing him to gain an impressive height before he landed feet-first on top of an armoured vehicle, denting it significantly. Nari continued at a stroll across the garage as the Hulk rampaged around the large room, entertaining himself with destroying things before rejoining her as she opened the doorway which should lead them to where she'd last seen Troy.

"Hulk know you," he said as he ducked through the doorway to follow on her heels, then sent a chill down Nari's spine as he added "Puny god" in a tone of deep satisfaction.

Nari swallowed and continued walking. "Yes, that was me," she said, tensing as she tried to decide whether or not she should attempt to flee from the beast.

"No worry," Hulk said, and patted her back in what was probably meant to be a reassuring gesture, though the force of it was enough to send her stumbling forward a few paces. "Bruce likes."

That surprised Nari. She'd thought she was tolerated by Bruce, at most. But _liked?_ Unlikely. Inconceivable. Really? But she couldn't imagine any reason for the Hulk to lie about it, and when she turned her head to look at him, the expression on his face didn't betray any hostility towards her.

"Thank you," she said, voice a little faint with the combination of surprise and relief.

They reached what she judged to be the area of Troy's room, at least if she was correctly remembering the distances and directions she'd travelled through the ductwork earlier. "He should be in one of these rooms," she told Hulk. "Mind opening a few doors for me? _Carefully_."

"No smash," Hulk agreed, and set to tearing the nearest door open.

* * *

Steve and Natasha ran into the quinjet, Clint lifting off again before they were even half way up the loading ramp. Tony turned and nodded to them from where he was standing just back of the cockpit, one hand holding onto a grab-hold on the ceiling, his faceplate open.

"Any further information?" Natasha asked as she slipped past him to take the co-pilot's seat, Steve moving to take hold by Tony.

"Yeah, Jarvis managed to remote into the phone and open a channel, mostly it's been a soothing soundtrack of outdoors at night, but there was a siren for a while at first, and after that cut out there's been a couple of times that we think we heard a distant Hulk roar," Tony explained.

"That sounds like a good sign," Steve said.

"Yeah, at least for our side, not so much for whomever Hulk is roaring at, I'd guess," Clint agreed. Natasha smirked at his appraisal. "We should be there in about ten minutes, give or take finding a landing spot for this bird. The tree canopy looked a little dense on satellite."

"Most of us can skip a real landing," Tony pointed out. "I can carry Cap and Widow down."

"I can jump, come to that," Steve said. "As long as we're not too high. Though Clint would still need to land the jet."

"Looks like it won't be an issue after all," Natasha said, gesturing with her chin toward a screen set in the dash between the two seats. "Coulson did some prying, there's another clearing right where the GPS puts Loki's phone – it was showing as canopy on satellite mapping images because there's a well-camouflaged base there."

"A SHIELD base?" Tony asked, frowning.

"Army," Natasha corrected.

Tony made a disgusted noise. "General Ross," he said.

"Possibly," Natasha agreed. "Coulson is looking for any provable connection."

"I don't think I like this General Ross," Steve said.

"I _know_ I don't like him," Tony growled. "Jarvis, remind me to find out where his new favourite watering hole is these days and buy that one too."

" _Of course, Sir,_ " Jarvis' voice could be heard from the speakers in Tony's helmet. " _What would you like it turned into this time?"_

* * *

Troy was backed into the corner of the room furthest from the door, staring at the Hulk with terrified eyes. The boy had already attempted to knock them each out in turn, as he'd done to Bruce earlier, but forewarned was forearmed, and Nari had already shielded them against such interference even before Hulk had found the right door.

She stepped between Hulk and Troy now, holding both hands up in a placating gesture. "We're not here to harm you, Troy – we're here to rescue you," she said.

Despite the fear and disbelief his expression showed, there was a brief flash of something else in his eyes when she said that – hope. He glanced from the Hulk to her and then back again. "How can I trust you?" he asked, voice shaking.

Nari shrugged. "You don't have to. Though I'll point out that if either I or the Hulk here really wanted to harm you, we already could have. You've been made to seem like you were complicit in what happened earlier today, but _this_ ," and she waved one hand dismissively around at the nearly bare room, the door that only opened from the outside, "looks more like a prison cell to us than some place you're living voluntarily. Neither of us is fond of cells, nor of the kind of people who'd lock someone else up in one in order to control them. We'll take you somewhere safe, where you can tell your side of the story. I have a feeling it will be an interesting tale."

Troy straightened slightly at that, and swiped his nose on the back of one wrist. "Get me safely out of here and I'll talk all right," he said bitterly. "I've been locked up here for _months_."

Before any of them could say or do anything further, there was the sound of gunfire from out in the corridor, and the Hulk whirled around and roared, before disappearing out of sight as he charged off at whomever was attacking them. Nari bit back a curse; the Hulk and she might be effectively impervious to gunfire, but Troy certainly wasn't; she'd rather not see him accidentally injured or killed before she and the Avengers had had a chance to question him properly.

"Do not be frightened," she told him, even as she reached for a larger, better-armoured form. "It's jail-break time," she managed as her face lengthened into a scaled muzzle, forcing the last words out before she lost the capability of speech. Troy had gone pale, watching the transformation, but simply closed his eyes and remained motionless as giant scaled paws closed around him and drew him protectively close before Loki's dragon form bulled its way upwards through the ceiling and into the freedom of the skies.

* * *

"There's the clearing," Clint said as the quinjet slowed and began to lower as its jets pivoted from horizontal to vertical positions. "Judging by the several areas of collapsed roofing I see, Hulk's been having some play-time."

Tony grinned. "Here's hoping he's left something for us to do," he said, then slapped his faceplate closed, preparing to exit the back of the jet.

"Don't forget your passengers," Natasha said, grabbing hold of him before he could move away. Tony sighed and lifted his arms, waiting for her and Steve to take hold on either side of him.

" _FUCK!_ " Clint suddenly exclaimed, the quinjet banking sharply to one side, Tony and Steve clutching at handholds while Natasha held on to Tony. "Shit. Looks like Loki is having some fun play-time too."

A roar sounded from outside; not the Hulk's well-known deep voice, but a higher, more animalistic sound; a screech, not a bellow. Natasha bent down to peer out the windscreen, keeping a tight grip on Tony's armour in case of additional sudden manoeuvring. "Looks like we have a dragon in addition to a Hulk," she commented dryly.

"Wonderful," Tony said, grinning inside his helmet. "Let's go play."

The loading ramp opened, Steve released his handhold and gripped onto the armour, and Tony flew out the back of the jet, dropping down to set Steve and Natasha down on the roof of the building before shooting off after dragon-Loki.

Loki was hovering to one side of the clearing, head turned to watch the quinjet as it disgorged its passengers, his forepaws... Forehands? Foreclaws? ...cupped in front of his chest, holding something. No, holding _someone_ , Tony realized as his visual sensors zoomed in for a better view. He got a glimpse of a pale face peering over one of Loi's massive claws, before he had to turn his attention to helping the team take control of the partially destroyed facility. The fight was brief, what little resistance remained mostly choosing to surrender when faced with almost the full complement of the Avengers, followed shortly by additional backup arriving in the form of several SHIELD teams that Phil had sent in after them to secure and investigate the site.

By the time the Avengers had handed off things to SHIELD, Loki was curled up near their quinjet, the Hulk sitting leaning back against his flank and looking sleepy after his energy expenditures of the evening. The dragon's clawed hands were still cupped protectively around – or possibly imprisoning, or maybe a bit of both – the young man.

Tony made it over to them first, landing just in front of Loki, popping his helmet open even as he reached up to run his gauntleted hands across Loki's scaled chin, wanting the reassurance of physical contact. Loki rumbled approvingly and lowered his head, putting Tony briefly in mind of an oversized cat. "Going to introduce me to your new... friend? Prisoner? Other?" Tony asked.

Loki snorted, then squirmed and rippled in a distinctly unsettling fashion as he edged away from the Hulk before shifting back to human form. His female one, again. Nari kept one hand maintaining a grip on the kid's upper arm after the change. "A little from column A, a little from column B," she said. "This is Troy. He's the mutant who knocked out Bruce yesterday, though I don't think I'd necessarily say he was the one _responsible_ for doing so," she said.

Steve and Natasha had arrived by then, Cap moving to check on the Hulk, who was slumping down and sideways as he began his own transformation back to his smaller and pinker form. Natasha moved closer to Troy, frowning and craning her head to one side. "What's that under your hair?" she asked him suspiciously.

Troy glanced nervously from her to Nari and over to Tony, then turned towards Nari and bent his head, exposing a black box – a _literal_ black box, with a matte black finish – of some kind that seemed to be directly attached to the nape of his neck. "They control me with it," Troy said, his voice shaky. "I don't know everything it can do; it's a shock collar, it can be used to paralyse me, and they told me it's got a tracker in it so that even if I somehow managed to escape, they'd still be able to find me."

"Huh," Tony said. "I am liking _none_ of that, and I wouldn't put it past the kind of mind who'd think up something like that to also build in an anti-tampering device or some kind of kill-switch. My vote is we get this kid the hell away from here and into a shielded location pronto, and then figure out how the hell to both turn it off and take it off."

"Motion seconded," Natasha said.

"Carried," Steve agreed as he crouched down to pick up a now-sleeping Dr Banner. " _Clint!_ Get your ass over here, we need to leave."

"Coming!" Clint called from where he was standing on top of the building, talking to a small cluster of SHIELD personnel. He hurried their direction, leaping over a gap in the ceiling and then bending down to pick up something a few strides before he jumped down off the roof, rolling out of the fall at the bottom before trotting over to them. As he drew near he called out "Catch!" and tossed whatever it was he'd picked up at Nari.

Her free hand snapped up, snatching it out of mid-air, and she raised her eyebrows in amusement at him before looking at what she held in her hand – her custom Starkphone. "Thank you," she said, slipping it into her pocket, then put one arm around Troy's shoulder and steered him toward the nearby quinjet. "Let's get out of here."


End file.
